


Stand by Me

by ChronoXtreme



Series: The Road Taken [7]
Category: Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Death, Despair, Established Relationship, F/M, Fire Emblem Fates: Revelation Spoilers, Grief/Mourning, I think this will probably be my darkest work, I'm Sorry, Implied Relationships, Insanity, Loss of Parent(s), Lots of Crying, Many more pairings than just Leo/Corrin, Married Couple, Massive spoilers for Hidden Truth and Heirs of Fate, Parent-Child Relationship, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Resurrection, So many spoilers it's not even funny, Spoilers, many feels
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-09
Updated: 2016-11-25
Packaged: 2018-08-30 01:34:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 9
Words: 35,411
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8513629
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChronoXtreme/pseuds/ChronoXtreme
Summary: "If the sky that we look uponShould tumble and fallOr the mountain should crumble to the seaI won't cry, I won't cryNo, I won't shed a tearJust as long as you stand, stand by me"-- Stand by Me, Ben E. KingOr: Corrin learns that even with the path she's chosen, sacrifices must still be made, and there are hidden truths she still must learn.





	1. Vacant Cradle

The child in his arms was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen.

Her silver hair was already beginning to curl, and he chuckled as her small hand waved up above her head, brilliant red eyes twinkling in the fading light of the moon as she clutched at his hair. “Now, now,” he said softly. “It’s time to say goodbye.”

A soft hand, one that had caressed him many times, rested on the child’s forehead, and he looked into the brown eyes of Mikoto. He’d disguised her, of course. Making her resemble a Hoshidan would allow her to blend into the culture easier, giving her a better chance of finding a new family, a new life. And though it hurt so much to stare into eyes that were once golden, now brown, he knew that it would be better this way.

“I wish it didn’t have to come to this,” she said softly, her voice trembling.

“As do I,” he murmured.

“She… She deserves a father.” Mikoto’s voice was anguished, and again the guilt over his decision spiked in his gut, making his eyes prick.

“She will have one, in Hoshido,” he promised. “A brave father, a strong father.”

“But not you,” Mikoto whispered.

And that was the pain of it: he could not be the man that raised his own daughter. Of course he would watch over her, as long as he continued to exist. Of course, he would do anything for her: protect her, prepare her path for her, die for her. But to be the man that helped her to walk? To be the man that smiled as she said “Papa” for the first time? To be the man that she could come to when she was crying or afraid or simply having a bad day?

He wanted that more than anything. But he’d learned long ago that to be human was to want that which was impossible to have. And this was the road he’d taken. He could not abandon it now.

“You won’t tell her?” he asked once more.

“I promised, didn’t I?” Mikoto said, and though her eyes were wet, her voice was light, jovial. As if this wasn’t the last time they would ever see each other. As if she was simply taking their child for a walk, and she would return in a few moments. “And do I break my promises?”

Despite the pain in his heart, he smiled. “Never,” he replied softly.

She swallowed thickly, then leaned up and pressed a kiss to his lips. “I will always love you,” she murmured. “Without end.”

“And I you,” he murmured back. He stared down at the infant in her arms, then kissed her forehead. “Goodbye,” he whispered.

The child suddenly began to squirm, as if realizing that they would not meet again for many, many years. “Shh,” Mikoto murmured, but soft cries began to pass their baby’s lips, a sound that tore at his heart.

“You are the ocean’s grey waves,” he sang softly, stroking the child’s head. “Destined to seek life beyond the shore, just out of reach…”

And as he sang the words he’d thought up so long ago, her beautiful crimson eyes drifted closed and her body stilled. Mikoto stared at him, then kissed his cheek one final time and strode down the trail, her white Hoshidan robes nearly glowing in the darkness.

His tears began to fall, but he quickly wiped them away so that he could see his wife and daughter leaving clearly. He burned the sight of her retreating form into his memory. It would most likely be the last time he would ever see his family with sane eyes.

Perhaps that was the most terrifying thing of all: he knew that his daughter would meet him again, someday. But he would be so insane, so full of hatred and despair and pride that he would be unable to recognize her truly as family. To him, cursed with the madness of his race, she would only be a thorn in his side, a pawn to use, or an insect to crush.

That was why he had to send her and Mikoto away. So she could be raised safely. So she could be trained with the sword. So someday, when the time was right, she would return to their broken kingdom, to the place where all of this had began.

And his sweet darling Corrin would kill him and finally release his soul.

He finally turned away once Mikoto was out of sight, inhaling deeply to still his trembling hands. There was so much to do and so little time. So many things had to be done before everything faded, before his insane half caught up to him and hunted for his blood with his undead servants. He knew that his very existence was a mistake, a freak accident. And while his time with Mikoto and Corrin had been so wonderful, it had also been so very short. He doubted he had much more left.

_"Yet, the waters ever change, flowing like time. The path is yours to climb."_

_Forgive me, Corrin. That song was the only inheritance I could give you._

Anankos prayed it would be enough.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Thanks for reading, first of all. Second of all, I highly recommend you read my other Leo/Corrin works before reading this story. They're the basis for this story, and plus I'm a shameless advertiser for my own works. :D
> 
> One of my favorite headcanons is that the Mikoto you see in the game is not actually what she used to look like. After all, her sister is Arete, who is the spitting image of Azura, and both their blue hair and golden eyes are passed down to Shigure. I know that there's precedence for siblings having different hair/eye color (Hoshidan sibs, for one), but the fact that she's got a Japanese name _and_ she looks ethnically Japanese? That's a little hard for me to swallow.
> 
> Then, I played Hidden Truths, where Anankos easily manages to change the hair color of the Ylissean three, so I figured, why not do the same for Mikoto? It'll be a lot easier for her to blend in with the crowd, and if Dragon!Anankos comes after her, he'll have a harder time trying to find her. It made sense to me, at least. 
> 
> Anyway, thank you so much for reading! I hope to update periodically and often. :)


	2. Spreading Shadow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "May it be when darkness falls  
> Your heart will be true  
> You walk a lonely road  
> Oh! How far you are from home
> 
> Believe and you will find your way  
> A promise lives within you now"
> 
> — Enya, May It Be

**Twenty Years Later**

 

“Mama’s still asleep?”

“Indeed she is.”

Corrin squeezed her eyes shut, resisting the urge to jam her pillow over her head. She had no idea how in the world _both_ her children had managed to be morning people. Certainly, she hadn’t passed that down to them.

“Corrin…” And she felt her resistance beging to crumble as Leo began to rub her shoulder, his fingers kneading soothing circles into her muscles. “Time to wake up.”

“Five more minutes,” she mumbled, pulling the covers to her chin.

A soft chuckle. “You said that five minutes ago.”

She chose to not respond to that particular comment. Instead, she snuggled down deeper in the sheets and blankets, savoring the warmth of the bedding. Of course, it would be a lot warmer with Leo to snuggle up to, but that clearly wasn’t happening.

“Kana,” Leo said, his voice dangerously mischievous. “Could you be so kind as to fetch me Brynhildr—”

“I’m up!” Corrin shouted, bolting up straight in bed. Leo smirked, halfway in the process of accepting his tome from Kana, who was grinning eagerly.

“Finally, the sleeping dragon awakes,” he said, planting a kiss on the crown of her head. “You almost missed breakfast, you know.”

“Mama, why do you always sleep so much?” Kana asked, cocking his head adorably.

She rubbed her eyes. “I try to enjoy life’s simple pleasures. You can go ahead to the mess hall, Kana.” She grinned as he threw his arms around her, giving him a fierce hug before letting him scamper off, his blonde hair a mess as always. “I’ll be down in a second!” she called as their bedroom door slammed shut. Though it was painful, she threw back the warm covers and sheets, grimacing as she slid out of bed. “You really had to get him to gang up on me?”

“Some days, I feel like it _would_ take an entire gang to get you out of bed,” Leo commented dryly.

She swatted his shoulder. “Where’s Forrest?”

“Already down to breakfast,” Leo said, placing Brynhildr down on the nightstand before handing her the stack of black padded clothing she wore under her armor.

“Thank you. Did I really sleep in that late?” she asked, going into the bathroom to wash up and change.

“No,” Leo responded through the door. “He just wanted to discuss his tailoring project with Kiragi.”

Corrin smiled as she pulled her shirt on, then her leggings. _It’ll be a miracle if this war ends without every single member of the army getting a Forrest creation._

Then, she realized just what day it was, and her stomach twisted into knots. 

Slowly, she gave her hair a few brushes to straighten out the messy curls, then opened the door. She noted that Leo was already suited up and ready to go. _Maybe that’s where they got that early rising trait from,_ she mused as she crossed over to the rack where her own silvery armor lay. She couldn’t recall the last time she’d woken up before Leo, probably because that time didn’t exist. Though she’d definitely seen cranky sleep-deprived Leo, and it had been the most adorable (and mildly terrifying) sight.

“I don’t blame you for wanting to sleep in,” Leo said softly, helping her with the straps.

Her fingers froze, and she closed her eyes. “I shouldn’t be trying to avoid this.”

“It’s been a long journey,” Leo murmured, his hands adjusting her gauntlets, tugging down her sleeve so that it wouldn’t catch in the seams of the metal. “You deserve rest.”

She sighed, bowing her head. “I don’t think any amount of sleep would prepare me for this day. Not that last night helped.”

Instantly, his hand tightened around her arm. “Nightmare?” he asked, his voice concerned.

“No,” she said, shaking her head. “No, I would have woken you if it was that bad. Just…” A lump rose in her throat, and her stomach felt jittery as she recalled the hours staring up at the ceiling of their room. “Just some nervousness.”

“I don’t blame you for that either.” He pulled back, letting her attach the greaves. “You still should have woken me.”

“You need your sleep too,” she replied, buckling on one greave, then the other. “Full eight hours, remember?”

He didn’t smile. “Are you sure you don’t want to wait another day?” he whispered, helping her strap on her cape, washed and patched. His chest nearly pressed against her back, his hands resting on her shoulders.

“I can’t,” she whispered back, leaning against him. Automatically his arms wrapped around her waist, and though they were both in armor, she could feel his warmth seeping into her. It wasn’t as comforting as when they were in regular clothes, but it was enough to push down the butterflies in her stomach.

Logically, the reason why this day couldn’t wait was because of the situation up above. She bit her bottom lip as she thought of Hoshido and Nohr, both locked in a futile struggle, ignoring the true enemy working to destroy both kingdoms. That was why they were here, of course: to defeat that enemy, Anankos. But every day they stayed down here, fighting the invisible soldiers of Valla, the war raged above, devastating both countries. A part of her was terrified to go back up to the surface once this war was over. What would they find?

Iago and Hans, both top advisors and generals of the Nohrian army, had been killed: Hans by her own hand and Iago by Leo’s. Leo had used his warping tome to spirit both Ryoma and Takumi up to Castle Shirasagi to tell Yukimura to maintain a defensive position only, not to try and invade Nohr while they were weak. But even with both those precautions, she knew that deaths were inevitable.

That was the logical reason why she couldn’t wait: people were dying up above, and if she wasted time simply because she was nervous, she’d only be wasting human lives.

But there was another reason: if she stayed one more day, pushing off the end of the war, she’d want another day, and another, and another. Eventually, she’d convince herself out of it. She inhaled deeply, her hand resting over Leo’s, and his chin nestled on her shoulder. “It’s going to be today,” she said softly. “We’re going to end this today.”

“Very well,” he said, his voice soft but grave. Slowly, she turned around in his arms, smiling up at him.

“Hey,” she murmured, leaning up to press a kiss to his lips. “Relax. It’ll be all right. After all, we’ve made it to this point, right?”

A small smile quirked up his lips. “True.”

“And whatever Anankos is, he can’t be that much worse than what he’s thrown at us,” Corrin added.

“Maybe,” Leo said softly. His eyes were concerned as he stared down at her, and she froze as his hand, bare and gentle, touched her cheek. “Corrin, I want you to promise me something.”

“Anything,” she said instantly.

He stared at her for a long moment, brown eyes soft, then inhaled deeply. “Promise me that you’ll be careful. That you’ll stay safe. That when this ends, we’ll all come home together.”

A lump rose in her throat. “Leo… It’ll be fine.”

“The battlefield is not so kind nor so simple,” he murmured, his thumb tracing her cheekbones. “You and I both know that by now.”

“I know,” she said, her hands settling on his shoulders. “But I can’t just stand back and watch people fight for me— ”

“I’m not asking that,” he interrupted gently. “I’m just asking you to be careful.” His lips, warm and soft, pressed to her forehead. “We’ve come this far together. I want to end this together. Because…” She froze as she heard his breath shudder. “If something happened to you, I don’t know what I would do.”

Her grip on his shoulders tightened. “Nothing’s going to happen, Leo. I promise. We’re all going to come home when this is over. I swear it to you on the Yato itself.”

His brown eyes widened.

Then, he truly smiled, a warm expression that made the fears still circling around her retreat. “Thank you,” he whispered, enfolding her in his embrace. She smiled back, though he couldn’t see it with her head tucked against his chest. For a long moment they simply stood there, and her eyes drifted closed as his hand ran up and down her back.

Suddenly, her stomach growled, and she blushed as Leo pulled away from her. “Hungry?” he asked, a small smirk on his lips.

“Who’s on mess duty?” she asked, the both of them walking to the door of their room.

“Peri,” Leo said, holding open the door for her.

“That’s a good sign,” Corrin said, smiling. Xander’s retainer was the best cook in the entire army. “Oh, hold on!” Quickly, she dashed to the nightstand, plucking up the thick black headband she’d placed there the night before. Carefully, making sure it wouldn’t catch on any tangles, she put it in her hair.

Yet, before her fingers could close around the stem of the white rose, Leo picked it up from the small table, holding it delicately between thumb and forefinger. “Allow me,” he murmured, and she smiled as he pushed back her hair, tucking the beautiful flower into her headband just above her ear.

“You know, I’ve never lost a battle wearing that flower,” she said, grinning up at him. “Did you enchant it or something?”

“Just so that it will never wilt,” Leo said, smiling fondly as he stroked the petals. “When we reunited at the Bottomless Canyon, I was surprised that you had kept it all this time.”

“Why wouldn’t I?” she asked. “It reminded me of you.” She couldn’t help but giggle as Leo blushed, his cheeks glowing a soft pink. “Oh, just a second.” The blush only deepened as she quickly pulled off his collar, flipping it so that it was right side out. “There.”

He sighed, ducking his head as they walked out the door. “Thank you.”

“What would you do without me?” she teased, her hand slipping into his, their fingers interlacing. Even underneath their gloves, she could feel his wedding band.

His hand squeezed her own. “I don’t want to find out,” he said, his voice painfully quiet.

_Right. The promise._

“Well,” she said, offering him her brightest smile. “You’ll never have to.”

And tentatively, he smiled back, pressing another kiss to her lips.

 

* * *

 

Leo stared at the doors to the throne room of Castle Gyges, his heart hammering in his chest. _This is it. We’ve finally arrived._

“Is everyone ready?” Azura asked, her voice melodious. “After this step, there is no turning back.”

He could see the trembling in Corrin’s hands, and he placed a steadying hand on her shoulder. She inhaled deeply, then strode forward, the Alpha Yato glowing in the dim light. “I’ll go in first,” she said, voice firm.

“What?” Leo asked, his eyes wide.

“I forbid it, little princess,” Xander said firmly. “This is the king of Valla. You honestly can’t believe you can face him alone, can you?”

“I know I can’t,” she said softly, turning to face all of them. “But I’m carrying the Seal of Flames, and that’s critical to defeating Anankos. If I don’t open this battle with a blow from it, the rest of you may not even be able to hurt him.”

“Wow,” Kana whispered, his red eyes wide as he looked up at Leo. “Papa, is that true?”

“Of course it is,” Forrest whispered back, a soft smile on his lips.

“Stay close to me, both of you,” Leo murmured, placing a hand on Brynhildr’s cover. Though he and Corrin both had tried to convince their children to stay behind in the Astral Plane for this final battle, they had refused instantly. _“We’re going with you,”_ Forrest had insisted, his brown eyes sharp and hard with determination. _“This is our battle as well, isn’t it?”_

That, Leo had realized, was painfully true. The memory of Kana’s deeprealm, burning as it was attacked by Vallite soldiers, weighed on him as they prepared to face their enemy.

_No more fear. No more invasions. No more running. This ends today._

Corrin sucked in a breath, then pushed open the old wooden doors. The squealing sound of creaking hinges filled the air, and Leo’s breath caught in his throat as more and more of the throne room was exposed. Kana and Forrest both drew close to him, and he summoned the magic of Brynhildr in his palm, letting the warm energy of life fill him with as much peace as he could hold onto in this moment.

They stared at an empty chamber

Rubble and wreckage were strewn around the once grand room, and it seemed that even the very walls were crumbling. In the back, carved out of the wall, a stone face stared at them, and he felt a chill travel down his spine as he stared at the blank eyes. And in front of the face sat an empty throne, decaying and rotting from years of disuse.

For a long moment, the entire army stood there in silence. Then, Corrin took a step forward, Yato held in a ready grip. “I don’t… I don’t understand,” she whispered, her voice echoing in the ruined stone chamber. “He… He should be here…”

“Perhaps he is simply concealed, milady,” Gunter said solemnly, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword as he strode up to her side.

“No,” Azura murmured, entering the throne room. Leo sucked in a deep breath, then crossed the threshold into the silent chamber. His eyes widened as his skin prickled, and Forrest shivered at his side. “Why would Anankos hide himself from us? We’re insects for him to crush under his heel. He has no reason to fear us.”

“Azura’s right,” Corrin said, her voice strained. “Anankos… Anankos…”

“Then perhaps there is another explanation,” Prince Ryoma said, the Raijinto crackling in his grip. “It could be that he is simply waiting for us in another section of the castle. After all, as Azura has told us, he is insane. The throne room may not have been his first choice, as logical as it would be for us.”

Leo’s eyes wandered around the room, carefully scrutinizing each corner. _No. Anankos should be here._ His skin crawled at the waves of energy crackling through the air; only a being of extreme magical power would be sending out pulses of such strength. The entire chamber was _crackling_ with magic; he could almost hear it humming in his ears. Forrest shivered again violently, his arms reaching up to rub at his arms.

“Papa?” Kana suddenly asked. “What’s Gunter doing?”

Leo blinked, then looked at the older retainer. He stood behind Corrin’s shoulder, staring impassively ahead. Yet his hand slipped behind his cape, reaching for…

A silvery flash shone in Leo’s eyes, and his heart nearly stopped.

 _“Allvar!”_ he shouted, redirecting Gunter’s gravity, and the older man let out a shout of alarm as he was yanked forward, falling down towards the throne in the distance. Corrin gasped as Gunter’s fall clipped her shoulder, nearly bowling her over, and something clattered to the stones. Gunter screamed as he smashed into the throne at the far end of the room, and Leo released the magic, dashing to Corrin’s side. “Are you all right?” he asked quickly, grasping her by the shoulders.

“Fine,” she breathed. “Why did you— ”

Her eyes widened as the both stared at the object Gunter had dropped: a silver knife, shining with a pearly liquid.

“What the hell was that?” Takumi demanded, striding over towards them, the Fujin Yumi already strung with an arrow waiting to be drawn. Camilla gasped as she saw the knife on the floor.

Xander carefully picked up the weapon, one hand on Siegfried. “I recognize this,” he said softly. “Amarantia. One of the most dangerous poisons in all of Nohr.” Sakura’s face was as pale as cream as she stared at the weapon.  

 _Amarantia._ Leo’s heart pounded in his chest as he stared at the knife in Xander’s hands. That particular poison had been a common weapon in his childhood, an easy and effective way to murder any competitors for his father’s favor. And Gunter had been ready to stab Corrin with a knife completely coated in it, more than ten times the lethal dose. _How could…?_

“I don’t believe it,” Elise whispered, clutching her staff. “Gunter… Gunter’s always looked after Corrin! He wouldn’t try and hurt her!”

Corrin’s crimson eyes suddenly widened, her grip on the Yato tightening. “It was _you,”_ she whispered. “It was always you.”

Gunter coughed, somehow managing to stand despite the dozens of meters he’d fallen. “So,” he rasped, his voice much colder than Leo remembered it. “You finally see.”

“I don’t understand,” Corrin said, her voice shaking. “Why? Why would you attack me? Why kill Scarlet? Why try and kill me over and over?”

And Gunter suddenly laughed, sitting down on the broken throne. “You still haven’t realized? You’re more naive than I remember, _Lady_ Corrin.” He spat the title like it was an insult, and Leo’s hand balled into a fist as a violet aura surrounded the older knight, his eyes taking on a sickly purple cast. “There is only one enemy here. And he has only one desire.”

_He serves Anankos. He’s always served Anankos._

His mind reeled at the revelation, but the pieces were coming together. Gunter, according to Corrin, had been discovered already in Valla after he’d fallen down the Bottomless Canyon, a place where only undead servants could survive. Azura had told them all that Anankos’s very presence was toxic, quickly bringing any living being under his thrall. Gunter had been so distant from the rest of the army, refusing to interact, much less bond, with its members. And he remembered his panic at seeing Corrin stagger towards him in the dark dungeons in the basement of the castle, her armor scored and her eyes frantic. _I should have seen this. I should have seen this from the beginning._ They’d always known they had a traitor in their midst, and Gunter should have been his first suspect.

But this was the man who had been Corrin’s guardian ever since Leo had set foot in the Northern Fortress thirteen years ago. He’d protected her, sheltered her from the manservants who would have abused her, instructed her in how to use a weapon when Xander wasn’t there. Corrin had spoken of him as family.

How could a man like him serve an insane being like Anankos?

“You,” Ryoma growled. A flurry of sparks traveled down the length of his blade. “You killed Scarlet?”

“It was a blow always meant for Lady Corrin,” Gunter said, his voice bitter. “If that whelp hadn’t interfered, this all might have come to a close so much sooner. It’s always so convenient, how you manage to have someone save you at the last second.” Leo’s grip on Corrin’s shoulders tightened at his words.  

She trembled in his grasp, her eyes dazed. “H-How long?” she asked. “How long have you been lying to us?”

Gunter chuckled. “You have no idea how difficult it is to accurately answer that question. The simple answer is...the whole time. One way or another.”

Leo’s heart nearly stopped. _This entire time. He’s been corrupted this entire time._ Gunter had been free to wander around camp, free to sabotage their army, free to perhaps sneak into Corrin’s room at night and murder her with no one the wiser. And he had never suspected a thing.

“Then what about why?” Corrin asked, her voice firmer. “Why kill Scarlet? Why try and kill me?”

“Oh, that’s simple,” Gunter said coolly. “I hate you. In fact, I’ve loathed you ever since you first came to Nohr, Corrin. It was no small thing to look after you all those years, but the payoff will be worth it. It already has been, in fact. Stripping away your innocence and hope slowly, very slowly…”

Corrin cringed. “I’ve known you my whole life. That’s not… That’s not true.”

Cold derisive laughter echoed in the throne room as Gunter shook his head. “Foolish little girl. You still believe that I can be redeemed? That I can be saved?”

“Yes,” Corrin whispered. “Because you’re not in your right mind. Anankos is manipulating you, Gunter. If I’ve learned anything from my mother… my father…” She swallowed thickly. “I can still save you.”

“Ha! Don’t compare me to those pathetic puppets!” Gunter spat. “They were nothing more than the fragile leftovers of long-dead fools. This body belongs to Anankos. I am him and he is me!”

“No,” Corrin said, walking out of Leo’s grasp, her grip on the Yato firm once more. “I’ll fight to get you back, Gunter. This war ends today.”

Gunter sighed, then raised his hand.

Leo tensed as shadows lifted up from the shadowy pools of water, twisting into the ethereal soldiers that had hunted them for so long. _The water. They always come from the water._

“Prepare for battle!” Ryoma bellowed, Xander drawing Siegfried. Metal rang against metal as swords were unsheathed, arrows were drawn from quivers, and spears and axes lifted.

“What’s the plan?” Corrin asked, looking at him with sharp crimson eyes.

“Strike hard and fast,” Leo said, staring at the encroaching invisible soldiers. “Forrest and I will freeze the water. That should stop reinforcements.” His eyes narrowed at Gunter. “He’ll be well defended.”

“I can get through to him,” Corrin said softly. “I know I can.”

“Be careful,” he said softly. Though her promise to him that morning was sincere, he knew just how reckless Corrin could be in the heat of battle. Her impulsive nature served her well, but he always feared the day it would get her into trouble he couldn’t save her from.

She smiled. “I’ll be fine.” And with a soft kiss, she ran off, Alpha Yato flashing in the dark.

 

* * *

 

Corrin had known that ending this war would be the hardest thing she would ever do.

She’d just never imagined it to be _this_ hard.

Gunter’s strength jarred her as their swords clashed, the Alpha Yato glowing against his blade. Easily, he forced her back, a twisted grin on his lips. “Come now,” he said, his voice that same chiding tone as when he’d sparred with her at the Northern Fortress. “Is that all you’ve got? You must strike with the intent to kill, child!”

She gritted her teeth. “Stop this, Gunter!”

“And why should I?” he asked, their blades once again meeting, grinding together. “You’ve been nothing but a thorn in my side for thirteen years! A thorn that I shall soon remove for Anankos!”

“I don’t believe you,” she whispered, leaping out of the way of his thrust.

Gunter had always been a constant in her life. Servants might come and go, her siblings might have visited and left, but Gunter had always been there from the very beginning. He’d practically raised her, treating her with all of the compassion and love that she’d needed. No servant of Anankos could do such a thing for so long. She couldn’t believe that.

Otherwise, she would have to believe that Gunter couldn’t be saved. That was not an option.

“D-Don’t you remember?” she breathed, blocking another one of his vicious strikes. He was much faster and stronger than she remembered, and his purple aura had seeped into his blade, a sickly contrast to the Alpha Yato’s blue glow. “When I was younger… I wanted to go outside. I tried to sneak out, but I was attacked by a manservant. He nearly choked me to death.”

Gunter said nothing, but she could see a flicker of remembrance in his eyes.

“You fought him off!” she shouted. “You sent him away and told me that I would never have to live in fear ever again! Would a servant of Anankos do that?”

“Do you still think you can sway me?” Gunter asked, his voice a harsh growl, unlike anything she’d heard before.

“Of course,” she said, panting for breath as they pulled back. “I believe in you, Gunter.”

He scoffed, but something changed in his eyes. There was uncertainty there, lurking behind the dark violet glow. “Your foolishness is impressive.”

Lunging forward, she twisted around his thrust, then sliced at his side. He shouted in pain as the Alpha Yato cut through his armor, scoring his skin, and she quickly pulled back. “Remember, Gunter,” she said, narrowly managing to block his counter. “Remember how you’d play catch with me, how you coaxed me out of my room. Remember how you trained me with a sword! You have to remember!” Sparks flew as her sword ground to Gunter’s hilt. “You did so many things for me! If you really served Anankos this entire time, you wouldn’t… You wouldn’t have done them!”

He chuckled, then _shoved_ his blade against hers, jolting her backwards. “If thinking as you do will bring you comfort, then be my guest. Your life will end either way.”

Steel scraped against her side, and she gasped as his blade cut at her skin, barely nicking her side. _Too close!_

“You could have killed me a dozen times by now!” she shouted. “So why? Why didn’t you?!”

If he really had been a traitor this entire time, she should be dead already. The Astral Plane was a safe place, a haven from the war, and everyone let their guard down when they stepped inside. Gunter could have simply taken her aside, asking for some time alone to talk. She would have gone with him easily. Or, he could have snuck into her room at night before she’d married Leo and slit her throat. There were a hundred ways that Gunter could have killed her. But he _hadn’t._

To her, that was a good sign.

“I needn’t explain myself to you,” he hissed. She lunged for his weak side again, but he blocked it with his blade. Quickly, she darted out of the way of his returning blow, then pressed forward again.

“You don’t have to,” she breathed. “Because I know why you haven’t.”

“Your naive belief will not save you from Anankos!” Gunter roared.

“Admit it!” she shouted. “You’re fighting on the inside, aren’t you? You’re fighting because you remember!”

Gunter gritted his teeth as she lashed out, slamming the Yato down onto his blade. He gasped as the weapon shattered, snapping in half from the force of her blow. Her chest heaved as she pointed her sword at his throat, and he fell to his knees, his face pale. “How… How?” he asked, his eyes wide.

“Stop this madness,” she whispered. “Just stop, Gunter.”

The violet flames around him flared to life. “I will not… die,” he gasped, raising the fragment of the blade he had left. “I am the king of Valla… I refuse… to…”

_“You are the ocean’s grey waves…”_

Corrin whirled around to see Azura striding towards Gunter, her pendant glowing with a beautifully brilliant light as she sang. _“A burdened heart sinks into the ground. A veil falls away without a sound…”_ With a start, Corrin realized she could no longer hear the sounds of battle. She turned to see that the invisible soldiers Gunter had summoned were gone, and the rest of the army approached, Xander leading the way.

Gunter suddenly groaned, and the aura began to dissipate like mist before a sunrise. _The song!_ Corrin realized, staring with wide eyes as Gunter clutched his head in his hands, his eyes rolling into the back of his head. _It’s cleansing him!_

“Gunter, listen to me,” she said, grasping him by the shoulders. “I believe in you. Fight Anankos! Remember the conversations we had in the Northern Fortress? How you’d always distract me when I was depressed? Think about all the experiences we shared! You gave Jakob his job! You helped Felicia and Flora feel at home! You have to remember!”

“Y-Yes…” Gunter whispered, his whole body shaking. “I…”

Corrin smiled, squeezing his shoulders. “You helped me practice my swordsmanship. You taught me that there was more to my life than just cold stone walls and closed doors. I cherish all of those memories, Gunter.”

And the violet flames consuming him vanished. “Lady… Corrin,” he whispered, his voice ragged.

“You remember, don’t you?” she whispered, staring into his eyes. “Hold onto those feelings. I will never forget them.”

“N-Neither will I,” he gasped.

Suddenly, his hand closed around the hilt of his broken sword, and she gasped as he raised it. _No! I thought it was going to work!_ She pulled back, hastily bringing the Yato in front of her to block Gunter’s surprise attack.

Yet instead of stabbing her, he rammed the broken blade into his stomach.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This isn't one of my finest chapters, because it's mostly just a rehash of Chapter 26, but it's a necessary one. 
> 
> I'm torn with Gunter's reveal as the traitor to Corrin's army. On one hand, I think it's a very good plot twist (if unfortunately ruined slightly by the fact that he can't support with anyone). But on the other hand, the whole "we have a traitor in our midst!" side plot felt a tad unnecessary. In my opinion, the random attacks on Corrin should have been portrayed as some nameless monster attacking her (and killing Scarlet), hunting her with every footstep until it's finally revealed to be Gunter. Thus, the whole "Gunter tries to pin everything on Corrin" bit in Chapter 26 was cut out and replaced with him trying to just kill her. 
> 
> Anyway, let me know what you think in the comments, and thanks so much for reading, as always!


	3. As All Stars Fall

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "The faces of my friends and allies... the last echoes of my name on their lips... The water would claim it all."
> 
> — Shigure, _Lost in the Waves_

“Are you sure you’re not hurt?” Leo asked, his eyes roaming over Corrin’s body for any signs of dented armor or scored metal. Her hand pressed over the small cut on her side, though it barely bled.

“I’m fine,” she insisted, though she trembled. His hands grasped hers, his thumbs running over her knuckles. His throat thickened as he saw the fear in her eyes, the dazed pain. Gunter’s attempted suicide had shocked all of them, though now the elderly knight was recovering from the burst of healing spells that Elise and Felicia had cast on him. Jakob hovered behind him, his brow furrowed in worry as he twisted a spare staff in his hands.

“L-Lady Corrin,” Felicia said softly, her staff already showing signs of wear as she approached. “Gunter wishes to speak with you.”

Corrin swallowed, then nodded. Her grip around his fingers tightened as she stared up at him. “Can you—”

“Yes,” he said instantly, squeezing her hand. She offered him a small smile, then hung onto his hand as they walked towards Gunter, still lying on the floor by the ruined throne. Leo’s skin crawled as he stared down at the knight even though he was cleansed from his possession, and he found himself looking at Niles, who was standing on the other side of the older knight. His retainer only nodded back, a hand on his bow. If Gunter attempted to attack Corrin again, he would not get far.

“My lady,” Gunter wheezed, and Leo cringed at how _ancient_ the man sounded now that he was free of Anankos’s possession. “F-Forgive me…”

“No,” Corrin said quickly, falling to her knees besides Gunter. Leo crouched beside her, a hand on her back as she grasped Gunter’s hand. “It wasn’t you, Gunter. It never was.”

“I had hoped… to pay for my betrayal with my life,” Gunter rasped. “I was… weak.”

Corrin shook her head, silver curls tossing around her face. “You’re all right, Gunter,” she whispered. “I believe in you. You fought that entire time, didn’t you?”

A weak smile turned up the knight’s lips. “Perhaps… But not all of what I said… was a lie.” He suddenly coughed, raising a trembling fist to his mouth. “D-Do you recall when I told you of King Garon’s gift to me?”

 _Father gave Gunter a gift?_ Leo rose an eyebrow. He’d never heard of this, and his father was not one to interact with common soldiers, much less bestow favors.

“He wanted to give you dragon’s blood, right?” Corrin asked, her voice soft.

 _Dragon’s blood?_ Leo’s eyes widened as he stared down at Gunter. Only the highest ranking advisors and soldiers were given dragon’s blood: it gave them a massive boost in power, along with the ability to manipulate dragon veins. To be offered dragon’s blood was to consider the recipient a member of the royal family. “That is a high honor,” he said softly.

“But one that comes with a high price,” Gunter said, and his hazel eyes were cold, his voice bitter. “To take it is to be nothing more than a slave to the royal family, bound in servitude. My family meant more to me than the honors of Nohr. I begged King Garon to understand my refusal. My wife, my child… they were everything to me. But when I returned home, I found my village razed to the ground, my family’s corpses nothing more than charred bones and ash.”

The words did not surprise Leo; he knew his father’s rage well. But they did sicken him, and he turned his gaze away from Gunter.

“But… why?” Corrin asked, her voice trembling.

“I ask myself the same question every day,” Gunter whispered. “I cannot understand the minds of royals. They see us as playthings, as nothing more than pawns or tools in their political schemes. As weeds to be killed, and then the soil salted so that no more can sprout.”

“That’s not true,” Corrin said, her arms wrapping around herself. Leo’s hand slid to her shoulder and he gave it a soft squeeze.

“I suppose it doesn’t matter,” Gunter wheezed. “After my family was murdered, I was tasked to take care of a political prisoner: a captive princess of Hoshido. I saw my chance to beat Garon at his own game, so I raised you to further my revenge. I only befriended you to use you against the man who took everything I cherished from me.”

Corrin visibly paled, then stared down at her shaking hands. And for the first time in his life, Leo stared at the man lying on the floor with contempt. He remembered Gunter in the Northern Fortress, how gentle and soft he was with Corrin, who knew nothing of the outside world. To think that all of that was simply so he could groom her to do his bidding, no matter how justified… It reminded Leo all too much of his own mother.

“That’s… all right,” Corrin finally whispered.

Leo looked at her in shock. Her hands were no longer shaking, and though her eyes were wet, she smiled softly. “I understand, Gunter,” she murmured.

Gunter, for his part, looked just as shocked as Leo felt. “What?” he rasped.

“Your motivations may have been dark, but your actions… they were pure,” Corrin said simply. “I will never forget your kindness towards me. In the end, that’s all that matters, really. Even if I was just a pawn in your eyes, you had compassion towards me. And I believe that you still do, now.” Her hand released Gunter’s, returning to her lap. “If you want my forgiveness, you have it.”

“But I… I killed Scarlet,” Gunter protested weakly.

“You weren’t yourself,” Corrin replied. “You were under the control of Anankos. If you truly wish to atone for what you’ve done, then live. Live for Scarlet’s sake. Live for your family.”

Gunter stared at her for a long moment.

Then, he smiled. “Very well, milady.”

“Jakob,” Corrin said, looking at the butler. “Could you take Gunter outside the throne room so that he can recover fully?”

Jakob nodded, then helped lift Gunter from the ground. “Come on, now,” he said, his voice lacking its usual bite as he and the aged retainer limped out of the room.

Leo’s grip on Corrin’s shoulder tightened as she wiped at her eyes briefly. “Will you be all right?” he asked softly, his free hand finding her own.

“Yeah,” she said, her voice steady. “It’s just… a lot to process, you know?”

“I understand. And I’m here,” he whispered.

Her smile was radiant as she rose to her feet, pulling him up along with her. “I know,” she said softly.

_“You will regret coming here…”_

A horrible chill ran down Leo’s spine as he heard that voice: guttural, grating, as piercing as a hundred knives grinding against stone. His arm wrapped around Corrin’s waist, pulling her close as stone cracked, rubble falling to the ground. _What…?_

The face on the wall suddenly burst from the stone surrounding it, cracking away like…

Like it was a mask.

Corrin’s grip on the Alpha Yato tightened, and Leo released her to open Brynhildr, its power seeping into his palm. Forrest and Kana weren’t far away, but his stomach curled into knots as the room hummed, pulses of magical energy making the very air crackle. The light faded away from the room, and the darkness that replaced it was almost tangible, like the oppressive air in the Woods of the Forlorn. And despite Corrin’s presence at his side, Leo could feel his entire body grow cold. _This is…_

“Anankos,” Corrin whispered, raising the Alpha Yato. Its blue glow pushed back the dark, but it was only a small flame compared to the inky blackness around them.

 _“Welcome, child, to my throne,”_ the voice rumbled.

 

* * *

 

The mask’s face was empty, eerily emotionless, yet massive as she stared up at it.

Her breath caught in her throat as she tried to comprehend the sheer size of the Silent Dragon. If just his face was that big, then surely he had to be even larger. _This is what we’re facing?_ she thought, backing away out of instinct. _How… How are we supposed to fight that?_

 _“I’ve been waiting a long time, Corrin,”_ Anankos rumbled, his voice impossibly deep. Her very bones vibrated at the sound, though her ears didn’t hurt.

“Anankos,” she whispered. “You’ve been toying with us for far too long.”

 _“Toying?”_ Anankos asked. She shivered as the mask protruded even further from the wall, and her grip around the Yato tightened as the darkness grew even thicker, a hundred times worse than the smoke that had poured out of Gunter’s body once the possession had left him. _“So I have. But why? Why is it wrong to manipulate humans?”_

“You’re insane,” she said, trying to stop her voice from quivering.

 _“I? Insane? It is humans that have taken leave of their senses. Your race is weak. It has forgotten its place in the world — forgotten its benefactors. I granted them my power, my trust, and what do they grant me in return?”_ The Silent Dragon’s voice was bitter. _“A lifetime of scorn and derision based on a single mistake of mine. Rather than forgiveness, they offer persecution, exile... even eradication.”_

“Is that true?” Azura’s voice suddenly asked, and Corrin swallowed as the songstress approached, her pendant shimmering against the darkness. “Did no man trust in you until the end?”

 _“If there was, I... don't remember,”_ Anankos replied, his voice shockingly soft. _Only their hatred fills my memories. My heart was heavy enough to sink into the abyss. How could humans forget me so?”_

“Anankos,” Corrin said, and Leo’s warmth, his presence beside her, gave her courage as she strode forward. “Your time is over. Even if you were betrayed, that gives you no right to destroy us.”

 _“Without dragons, humans would have no agency! No sentience! We gave them everything!”_ the dragon roared, and Corrin cringed as Anankos’s voice suddenly grew harsher. Sakura and Elise both cried out, jamming their hands over their ears. _“Answer me, Corrin! Why am I the one left to suffer? Why am I the one left to die? Why do humans flourish while I am buried here… ignored… forgotten…”_ Corrin stumbled backwards in fear as he roared, dust and rubble falling from the ceiling at the strength of his cry. _“TELL ME WHY!”_

Leo’s hand grasped her shoulder, steadying her, and her hands grew still. _No more fear. No more running._

 _“Answer me!”_ Anankos cried.

“How’s this for an answer?” Corrin shouted, dashing towards the mask, bringing the Yato back for a powerful blow…

…that cracked harmlessly against the stone.

She stared wide-eyed at the mask, her heart pounding in her chest. _It can’t be… It didn’t even leave a scratch?_ She carried the Seal of Flames, the sacred blade blessed by the Rainbow Sage, and even that wasn’t enough?

 _“You bare your teeth at me?”_ Anankos growled. _“It does not matter. I will take your life, Corrin. You, the last of my forgotten bloodline, my chosen heir… Your body will serve as a vessel for me!”_

“No,” Leo said sharply, Brynhildr’s glow bright as he strode towards her. “You won’t.”

 _“Impudent fool,”_ Anankos rasped, and Corrin screamed as the room suddenly shook, knocking everyone to their knees. She buried the Yato’s point in the ground, holding onto it for stability. _“You think you have the might to refuse the will of a dragon?”_ Corrin’s eyes widened as Leo screamed in pain, a burst of violet light tossing him back dozens of feet until he crumpled to the floor, armor grinding against stone.

 _“Leo!”_ Corrin cried, then gasped as the room jolted again, the ground slipping beneath her feet. Stone cracked, and she froze as Kana wailed, the shockwave throwing everyone back. Desperately, she hung onto the Yato, still embedded in the ground until the floor stilled, leaving only her and Azura in front of the stone mask. Corrin gasped for breath, her arms burning from the strain.

_“Sing with me a song of silence and blood…”_

The pendant’s blue glow was vivid in the blackness as Azura climbed to her feet and strode towards Anankos. _“The rain falls, but can’t wash away the—”_

Suddenly, another burst of violent light flashed in the dark, and Corrin’s eyes widened as Azura screamed, a pained cry that shook her to the core as the songstress collapsed to the ground in a heap. “Stop it!” she shouted, pulling the Yato from the ground and moving over Azura's quivering form. Her arms formed a makeshift shield, spreading over Azura as she gasped in pain, writhing on the ground.

Anankos only laughed, an ugly cruel sound that made her want to clamp her hands over her ears. _“Your little sticks and stones cannot harm me, child. Not even_ that _song can destroy me now. Not unless she wishes for the water to claim her with her mother…”_ Corrin’s eyes widened at those words. _“You bring your toy soldiers and dolls to fight me? I am the forgotten god! The entombed dragon! I am the END!”_

Her throat was dry as she stared up at the mask. _At this rate, we’ll by wiped out. We can’t… We can’t fight something like that. Not like this…_

And her eyes widened as a bright light, shimmering and eerily beautiful, formed in front of Anankos, his mask splitting open to reveal a gaping maw. _What—_

_“Corrin!”_

Leo’s cry shook her to her senses. Azura was still crumpled on the ground behind her, recovering from the shock of Anankos’s strike, defenseless. Corrin wasn’t fast enough to grab her and dodge this attack all at once. So there was only one choice left: she quickly brought up the Alpha Yato in front of her, gasping in a breath as the light came towards her, blinding her, paralyzing her.

She watched in horror as the Alpha Yato shattered.

Golden shards scattered to the ground, the blue glow fading away as the sacred blade fell apart in her hands.

Then, the world was _pain_ , hot and sharp, ripping muscle from bone. Barely she managed to stand, gritting her teeth as she shook, trying to hold back the screams tearing her throat apart. Every single inch of her skin burned as if rubbed raw, and her limbs shook uncontrollably, from the soles of her feet to the crown of her head. The horrifying light faded away, dissipating into the ground, but that only let her see the crackles of white lightning flying over her armor and skin.

“Corrin!” Azura cried, and Corrin could only turn her head to see her scrambling towards her, golden eyes horrified. “Why?! Why did you do that?!”

Footsteps rang in her ears, but she didn't have the strength to look. “Mama!” Kana cried, his eyes wide and shimmering with tears. Forrest’s stave was already glowing as he came into her field of vision, green magic shining in his hands. And Leo…

She’d never seen Leo so afraid in her entire life.

The pain suddenly sunk into her, striking with a fury that she couldn’t withstand, and her legs buckled under the strain. Silver armor, cracked and blackened, crunched as she fell to the stone floor, her head cracking against the rock. The hilt of the broken Yato slid out of her hand, clattering to the stone uselessly, and she stared at it in despair. _That sword… was our best chance…_

“Corrin,” Leo gasped, and she wheezed in a burning breath as he gathered her into his arms, her head resting on his shoulder. “Forrest!” he shouted, his voice cracking. “Elise, Sakura!”

The three of them clustered around her, and Corrin watched with dimming vision as they raised their festals, green healing magic washing over her body. Yet, there was no warmth that bloomed in her stomach, no relief from the horrible agony assaulting her. Instead, something warm and wet coated her teeth, pooling in her mouth, and she coughed, squeezing her eyes shut as another shockwave of torture made her body tremble. Leo’s hand, now free of its glove and gauntlet, stroked her cheek, his brown eyes shining. “Stay with me,” he whispered, desperation ringing in his voice. “Stay with me, Corrin. _Stay…”_

Tears of grief and pain welled in her eyes. She wanted to stay. She _needed_ to stay. The army needed her, Leo needed her, Forrest and Kana needed her.

But she was slipping, fading away, despite the staves and festals over her. She felt so bitterly cold, even with Leo’s arms around her. _Is this… the end…?_

“Wh-Why isn’t it working?” Elise whispered, her violet eyes wide as the glowing crystal in her staff broke. Sakura’s hands were shaking as she continued to whisper words under her breath, her festal’s glow wavering. Forrest pressed his lips together firmly, but Corrin could see the tears dripping from his chin, falling onto her broken armor.

“Everyone,” she whispered.

The room grew still, silence covering them as she lay there, trying to summon the words she needed to say. “I’m so… sorry,” she whispered. Her own tears started to fall —  she was too weak to hold them back —  and like a dam had burst, sheer awful _despair_ overwhelmed her. “F-Forgive me,” she whispered. _I’m so sorry, I’m sorry I failed you, I’m sorry I brought you here, I’m sorry I didn’t stop him._

“Hush,” Leo murmured, stroking her hair. She could feel wetness there, bleeding onto his fingertips. “It’s all right. Just stay…”

Something fell onto her cheek, stinging the burned flesh there, and she stared in disbelief at the wetness clinging to his lashes. _He’s… crying?_

“M-Mama?” Kana asked, his voice quivering. His hands tugged on the shredded remains of her cape. Her heart ached as she saw his entire body trembling with barely restrained sobs, his eyes red and raw. A memory blossomed in her mind, a memory of Kana’s tears as she’d told him goodbye in his deeprealm for the last time. He had clung to her cape and begged her to let him leave. He’d been so afraid…

 _“And I’ll never know if you’ll… if you’ll… if you’ll_ die _and never come back!”_

And she realized something, a crucial fact that pushed back the pain and despair.

She had to stay. Leo was right. She had to stay. Somehow, she had to destroy Anankos, Yato or no Yato. Even if her entire body was crumbling, she had to hang on. Her hand balled into a fist, and she sucked in a rattling breath. _I can’t give up this easily. I can’t. Everyone needs… me…_

“Azura,” she whispered, looking at the songstress. To her surprise, Azura was weeping, her blue hair falling around her face in a veil. “Are you… hurt?”

She shook her head. “Why?” she whispered. “Corrin, y-you shouldn’t have…”

And Corrin offered everyone the brightest smile she could manage. “I’m fine,” she breathed. “I can… keep fighting. I can… stop him. I… can…”

Why couldn't she feel Leo's arms anymore?

 _Let go,_ a voice whispered, dark and guttural. _Let go, Corrin. You’ve fought so long, my sweet child. It’s time for you to sleep now. Let go…_

She tried to stay awake. She honestly did. But her eyelids were so heavy. Surely, it wouldn’t be so bad to just close her eyes for a second. Just a second, just to get her strength back. She wasn’t dying. She’d recover, somehow. She’d save them, all of them…

Leo whispered her name, and then the darkness swallowed her whole.

 

* * *

 

Her eyelids drifted closed, and Leo couldn’t breathe.

_This isn’t happening. This isn’t happening. This is just an illusion. A mistake. She promised…_

“Corrin?” he whispered again. The room was silent, so quiet that a pin dropping would have made him jump. Anxiously, he waited for a response. For her lips to part, for her to reassure him, _“I’m fine.”_

The silence was unbroken.

Logically, he knew that the woman in his arms was no longer there. Her entire body was limp, her skin red and raw and charred. Anankos’s attack would have ruptured organs, broken bones, possibly even shattered her spine. His mind had known that she, despite her strength, wouldn’t be able to survive such a horrendous attack.

But his heart had believed her words. She would be fine. She would survive this. This was _Corrin_ he was thinking about, not just his wife but their leader, their paragon that they all looked up to. She had united two nations into one army, fought and killed countless enemies, overcome insurmountable odds. She was Yato’s chosen master, wielder of the divine blade.

Yet, that blade lay broken at her side, its blue glow gone.

And as he looked down at her, at this woman who was not just strong but strength itself, at this woman who had suffered so much by herself because of his contemptible foolishness, at this woman that had laughed with him and cried with him and _loved_ him so completely, something inside of him broke.

She shouldn’t look like this. Her eyes should be open, looking at him with that soft warmth that he so desperately loved. Her armor shouldn’t be covered in black ash, cracked and exposing the bleeding skin underneath. She shouldn’t be limp in his arms, blood seeping through her hair. She shouldn’t be so still, so motionless.

She shouldn’t be so cold.

He wanted to turn and beg Sakura and Elise and Forrest to keep going, to try and heal her once more. Surely, her wounds weren’t that serious. Surely, she was just sleeping. Surely, if they just tried _harder,_ she would wake up. But he knew that his mind was just scrambling for a way to save a dead corpse, and no magic could do that. Not even Brynhildr, able to create life, could bring his Corrin back to him.

Carefully, gently, he pulled her close, hugging her to him as tightly as he could, rocking her back and forth slowly. His tears fell unrestrained as he kissed her forehead and rubbed her back, trying in vain to wake her. _Stay with me,_ he begged her silently, his bare hand stroking her hair. _Please, Corrin, stay with me…_

 _You promised. You swore to me on the Yato itself you’d come home with me. You promised you’d stay with me forever. You promised. You_ promised _…_

Despite his ministrations, her eyelids did not open. Her crimson irises didn’t stare up at him, filled with life and light and love. And he trembled as he felt the warmth fade out of her limbs, warmth that had warded away the chill on cold nights, warmth that had made his heart race, warmth that had enveloped him completely and intertwined him with her until they were no longer just two people, but two halves of a greater whole. Her warmth had been in her smile, her arms, her laugh, her eyes. Her warmth…

Her warmth was gone.

And Leo wept.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry.
> 
> Corrin's death was a result of massive radiation poisoning, along with third degree burns along her entire body. This is why even Elise, Sakura, and Forrest all working together still wasn't enough to save her. Compared to a stab wound, it would take much more energy (and thus break staves faster) to reconstruct and repair entire organs.
> 
> There's very little to say, besides some shout outs in Anankos's dialogue to Heirs of Fate, so please let me know what you think. And once more, I apologize.


	4. Oblivescence

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Oh, who decides from where up high  
> I couldn't say, 'I need more time'?  
> Oh, grant that I can stay the night  
> Or one more day inside this life!"
> 
> — Too Much Is Never Enough, Florence + The Machine

_ Where… Where am I? _

_ It’s so cold… and dark… _

_ And I’m so… very… tired… _

“It’s all right.”

The voice was unlike any she had ever heard before. Soft, warm, yet filled with a strange power she couldn’t identify. It echoed in the darkness, surrounding her.

“It’s time to wake up, Corrin.”

But… she wasn’t asleep, was she? And she was so very tired… 

“You’ve been through so much. But it’s time to wake up now.”

And her eyes opened. 

For a moment, she was sure she’d see the stone roof of the Northern Fortress, or perhaps the soft tatami mats and paintings of her room in Castle Shirasagi. Yet, instead she appeared to be in a simple cottage, with a wooden ceiling and white walls. The bed she was lying in was large, with a soft quilt on top.  _ So… warm… _

“I’m glad.”

Where was this place? It was completely foreign to her, but yet, it seemed like… home. In a way, it reminded her of her treehouse back in the Astral Plane, somewhere safe and comforting. Her eyes searched around the room, taking in each small detail. It was small, but not cramped. The wooden floor was neatly swept, with several plush rugs to cushion it. There was a nice little nightstand, a few oil lamps. But by far the strangest thing in the room, yet somehow entirely fitting, was the small cradle in the corner. 

And staring down into it, dressed in a hooded white robe, stood a stranger.

She should have been nervous, reaching for some weapon. But she was still exhausted, still worn out from… from what? Something had happened, but she was so sleepy, she couldn’t recall.

The person standing over the cradle turned, and she blinked. His hood was tugged down so she couldn’t see his eyes, though his hair was long enough to stream out to his shoulders. It was blue, a soft color that she couldn’t help but find familiar.

“Even in my madness, I never had the heart to destroy this place,” he said, and she blinked in confusion.  _ Madness? _ “The memories of you and your mother were too strong for me to touch here.”

“Mother?” she whispered, her voice raspy from sleep.

The man smiled. “Yes. Your mother. When she first found me, I was a man without memory. She nursed me back to health, kept me company. I can never thank her enough for what she’s done for me.” His footsteps were muted by the carpet as he strode towards her. “She gave me a home. She gave me her love. And she gave me you.”

Her heart stuttered at his words.  _ Wait…  _ “Who… Who are you?” she whispered. “I don’t know your name…”

He smiled sadly. “I’m afraid you do.”

Somehow, she managed to sit up from the pillows, even though her head spun and everything ached. Strange. Why was that? “No, I… I have no idea who you are.”

Slowly, he sat down on the edge of the bed, looking at her. “Did your mother ever tell you who your father was?” he asked softly.

“I thought… Sumeragi was my father,” she said softly. “But… that’s not right, is it? Mother… took me to Hoshido, and then she married him.”

The man nodded, still smiling sadly. “Then she kept my final wish.”

“Wait…” It was hard to put together —  for some reason, her mind was just so fuzzy —  but was he saying…? “Are you… my father?”

“Yes,” he whispered.

She stared at him, completely shocked. “I… What?”

He chuckled, a soft gentle sound that she found familiar. “It’s all right to be confused. There’s so much to explain, so much to do.”

“But I… How do I know you’re my father?” she asked, cocking her head. “How do I know you’re not lying to me?”

Gently, he tugged down at his hood. “Will this be enough proof for you?” he asked softly. 

Her eyes widened as she stared at his face: a well defined nose, soft blue hair that reached his shoulders, pale skin and soft lips. He looked young, younger than she’d expected for a man that was supposed to be her father. But that wasn’t what was important.  

_ He… He has my eyes. _

Not just the color, though that was distinctive enough. The slitted pupils, the large round shape… Her own eyes widened as she saw his ears: pointed at the tips, jutting out from his hair, just like her own.  It was like she was staring at a mirror, a shadowy counterpart. 

He smiled, and his crimson eyes sparkled. “Your mother was always so happy that you had my eyes.”

She blinked back tears. 

“Corrin?” he asked, his voice concerned, his eyes widening as his fingers reached for her arm. “I’m sorry, I didn’t think— ”

A gasp escaped Father’s lips as she pulled him into a hug, wrapping her arms around him. Her head tucked against his shoulder, and she inhaled his scent: something sweet yet spicy, something  _ ancient. _ Slowly, tenderly, he enfolded her in his embrace, running a hand up and down her back. “I’m sorry, Corrin,” he whispered. “I’m so sorry. If I could have, I would have never left you. I’m so sorry…”

“I-It’s okay,” she whispered, her voice thick. “W-Wait. Who— ”

“There’s not much time,” Father murmured, rising from the bed. Corrin gasped as the room shook, the windows rattling in their frames. “He’s already begun.”

“Begun what?” Corrin asked, pulling back the covers. “I don’t understand… What’s going on?”

“You must remember, Corrin,” he said, his voice strained. “If you forget why you’re fighting, you’ll lose everything you hold dear.”

_ Why… Why am I fighting? _ She was fighting something, of course, something dangerous and evil, but why? She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to remember, but it was so hard to focus. Gods, she was still so tired…

_ “Mama!” _

She froze.

“You can hear them, can’t you?” Father said softly. “Their cries.”

And all of a sudden, a cacophony of voices flooded her mind, each one of them screaming for her attention.  _ “This is a sick joke, you know that? Get up! You’re not just going to give up, are you?” “Don’t leave me, my precious Corrin! Please, gods, take me instead…” “Corrin, please wake up! Don’t abandon us again!” “You can’t die here! It’s not fair!” “I won’t leave your side until you w-wake up! No matter what, I’ll protect you!” “Our battle is not yet over, little princess! Keep fighting with me till the end!” “I can’t lose you, not again! Get up right now, or I’ll… I’ll…” _

_ “Mama, don’t leave me! I promise I’ll be a good boy! Please…”  _

_ “Please, Mother, don’t leave us. You’re too dear to me…” _

And the last voice, only a faint whisper that quivered:  _ “You promised. You promised. You promised. Please, gods above, you  _ promised _ …” _

Like a bolt of lightning, a hundred sensations and memories surged through her: the light, the heat, the pain, Leo’s arms around her as she faded away, slipping from life into…

“I’m dead,” she whispered, trembling. “Aren’t I?” Those voices… those were her friends. Her family. Her Leo, her Forrest, her Kana. 

How could she have forgotten?

“No,” Father answered softly. “You haven’t passed that boundary yet. Not permanently. You’re somewhere in between.” 

“In between?” she whispered. 

The cottage around them vanished, and she gasped as she stood in the throne room of Castle Gyges, Father at her side. His hand fell upon her shoulder as she stared at the people in front of her, screaming and crying over…

Her. 

She cringed as she stared at herself: burned, armor blackened, cape torn. Her body was still in Leo’s arms, cradled tight to his chest, one hand buried in her hair. Yet, the scene was shockingly motionless, everyone completely still. Even small bits of rock floated in the air, perfectly undisturbed.

“Your soul is beginning to slip out of your body,” Father said softly. “If you dwell here too long, then you won’t be able to return. But time passes slower here. Slow enough for me to explain what you must do.”

_ Return? _ Her eyes were wide as she stared at the scene in front of them. At the mask on the wall, hiding their true enemy. 

“Tell me,” she said, turning to face Father. “Tell me everything.”

“Very well,” Father whispered.

 

* * *

 

I’ve never seen Papa cry until now.

He doesn’t wail. He doesn’t sob. He’s so quiet, but I can hear his breathing stutter, like a heartbeat. His eyes are squeezed shut, so tight that I wonder if they’ll ever open again, but tears still leak out anyway. 

I’m scared. I don’t understand. Papa never cries, not ever. He smiles and he frowns, he has a pained face that he makes whenever I scrape my knees or smack my head or someone bad hits me. But he doesn’t cry. Mama cries, when she thinks I’m not looking. Forrest cries, when he has a bad dream. I cry, when I think of Mama or Papa or Forrest going away, of their bodies not working anymore, like the bad people who fade after we hit them enough.

Papa doesn’t cry. But he  _ is _ crying, ugly tears that make his face go red and his whole body hunch over, and I don’t understand.

And now he’s rocking Mama in his arms, kissing her face, rubbing her back like he does when he wants to be gentle and wake her up. But it’s not working, nothing’s working, not even Aunt Elise and Aunt Sakura and Forrest’s rods. I don’t understand, why isn’t anything happening? Why isn’t Mama waking up? I don’t— 

No. I  _ do _ understand. But I don’t want to. I don’t want to understand, because if I do, then it will hurt, because then I’ll know that Mama…

Mama isn’t going to wake up anymore. 

Papa is still rocking Mama, like she used to do when I got a scrape and cried and cried. I remember when I was bad at transforming into a dragon, when I would run into things on accident and hurt my legs. She would hold me and Papa would grow leaves with his special book. And she would rock me as he put them on, even though I’m not a baby anymore. I’m grown up enough now.

I’m grown up enough to understand that Mama is gone. 

And it hurts, it hurts  _ so much, _ and my eyes burn and everything is cold. Because Mama is the one person who stays, Mama is the one person who shouldn’t leave, but she’s gone now, and…

I can’t help it. I start screaming, and my throat hurts and my face burns, but I can’t  _ stop. _ And then everyone else is screaming and crying and the room isn’t quiet anymore, it’s so loud and it hurts my ears, there’s so much noise. Papa doesn’t scream, he’s still holding onto Mama, but Forrest is sobbing and the aunts are wailing and the uncles are staring with wide eyes and whispering. It’s all so much, all too much, and I crouch down on the floor and put my head between my knees. It’s too loud, too much— 

_ “Contemptible vermin.” _

His voice is so ugly, so painful, and I whimper. Forrest’s arms are around me, and they’re soft, but I want Mama’s arms, I want  _ Mama! _

The room doesn’t go quiet again, but I can still hear his voice over the shouting and the crying, and my ears ache. 

_ “Your hero is dead at last. Her eyes will never open again.” _

“Bite your tongue, beast!” Uncle Xander roars, and his sword glows with power. “Corrin still lives! I know it!”

I look down at Mama, my eyes wide. She’s… she’s still alive? But she’s not moving.

Something warm washes over me, like hot water after a long day, and I freeze.

_ “Your hope betrays you, Son of Nohr,” _ Anankos rasps.  _ “She is mine now. Her body, her soul… All mine…” _

No. No! Anankos can’t take Mama! He can’t!

“Give me back my mama!” I scream, fighting against Forrest’s arms, trying to pull away so I can shout, fight, do  _ something. _ “Give her back  _ now!” _

_ “I cannot,” _ Anankos says back, and I freeze. He sounds… sad. Like he’s sad that Mama’s dead too.  _ “That child… is all I have left.”  _

All he has left? I don’t understand.

“This is far from over!” Uncle Ryoma shouts, his katana sparking.

The air suddenly crackles, and Forrest freezes around me, his arms going stiff. Papa’s eyes fly open, and they’re puffy and red and  _ scared. _ What’s going on? What’s happening?

Then I see it: the mist.

It’s purple, like the flames that come with the bad people, and it oozes across the floor like slime, going towards… towards… 

Mama.

Papa drops Mama to the floor, and Brynhildr is open in his hands. “No,” he rasps, his voice ragged and rough. The light in his hand shines against the ooze, and I gasp as Mama’s body flies backwards, away from the mist, away from Anankos, away from the rest of us.

“Protect Corrin!” Aunt Hinoka yells. “Don’t let him reach her body!” And everyone in the army runs forward, weapons out, charging Anankos. No! I don’t understand, why are they fighting him, they’ll die, they’ll die!

Now Papa is standing and he’s facing us, and the light of Brynhildr makes his face look too pale, like he’s dead with Mama. “Forrest,” he whispers, his voice so soft. I don’t know how I can hear it above the yells and the sounds of weapons. “Take your brother. Run.” 

“N-No,” Forrest gasps. “No, I c-can’t— ”

“Go back to the Astral Plane.” Papa keeps on talking, like Forrest didn’t say anything. “Lilith will protect you.” 

“Father, no— ”

I scream as we’re flying backwards, shooting away from the throne and Anankos and the fighting, but the falling stops after only a few seconds, and we crumple to the ground next to Mama. Everything hurts, but Forrest can heal us. He hung onto his staff. 

Papa stares at us for a moment, and he says something, but we’re so far away that we can’t hear him. 

Then, he turns around and walks towards Anankos, and the ground breaks under his feet, dirt flying around him like he’s in the center of a storm. Anankos roars, and I can’t watch as the awful light comes, the light that killed Mama, the light that’ll kill everyone else in my family, the light that might kill Papa too.

Forrest is crying, his face in his hands, his silver curls dusty and ruined. His staff falls to the ground next to Mama, and I stare at her, at the red marks on her skin, at her black armor that should be bright and shining and clean. But it’s not, she’s dead, she’s gone, and she’ll never come back.

I fling myself onto Mama and cry.

 

* * *

 

“What do you know of Anankos?” Father asked, his voice soft and sorrowful.

Corrin blinked at the unusual question. “Anankos?”

He nodded, staring up at the sealed dragon, hidden behind the mask. Corrin shivered as she stared up at the monster, remembering the awful pain that had seared through skin and armor alike. “He… He’s insane,” she said softly. “Azura told me that he killed her father, the king of Valla. He hates mankind more than anything else.”

Father stared at her, and she was struck by just how  _ melancholy _ he looked. “Is that all?” he asked softly.

“He… He was sane, once,” she said softly. “He gave the people of Valla his own blood, to strengthen them. Then one day, he turned against them.”

“Yes,” Father whispered.

“Why do you want to know?” she asked, confused.

“There is more to the story of Anankos than just that,” Father said softly, his hands clasped in his lap. “It’s a sad tale. Would you hear it?”

“Of course,” she said. Though she didn’t see how that would help their situation, time passed slowly here, according to Father. Even now, everyone around her was still motionless, faces frozen in shock and horror. Her heart ached as she stared at Forrest, watching his tears slide down his cheeks ever so slowly.

“Anankos once loved humans,” Father said softly. “He adored them, cherished them with all of his heart. He couldn’t bear to be parted from them. So he gave his blood to them, as Azura told you, and helped one man by the name of Cadros organize a kingdom, hidden away from the rest of the world.”

“Valla,” Corrin realized.

“Yes. Anankos took a human form often, and chose to spend his life among the people of Valla,” Father said softly. “He spent his time with Cadros and his descendants, growing very close to them. He loved them all dearly. But…” His eyes closed and he bowed his head, as if remembering something terrible. “He realized something awful, hundreds of years ago. Dragons, as ancient as they may become, are bound to the weaknesses of the flesh, just as humans are. But they cannot die. Instead, their mind decays, their consciousness fades, and they succumb to animalistic instincts. You’ve already seen it.”

“He realized he was going to go mad centuries ago?” Corrin asked, her eyes wide. “Then why didn’t he do anything to stop it?”

“He did,” Father replied, his voice anguished. “He was terrified of the impulses overtaking him. The kingdom that he loved so dearly became reprehensible to him, and he loved and hated humanity as a whole, just as he loved and hated himself. Each day, the desire to destroy became more powerful, and his self-control began to wane. He knew that those desires would drive him mad. So, he split off a chunk of his dragonstone and imbued it with power. If a person with the bloodline of the ancient kings of Valla sang a song which he had composed, his destructive urges would weaken, and he could return to himself.”

“Is that the song Azura sings?” Corrin asked.

“Yes. The song alone is not enough, however,” Father said softly. “The pendant that she carries contains that fragment of Anankos’s dragonstone. That is what gives the song its true power. Together, they will weaken Anankos.”

“But… it didn’t work, did it?” Corrin asked weakly. “Valla still fell and Azura’s father was still killed by Anankos.”

“Yes,” Father whispered. “Anankos killed his cherished friend, the King of Valla before he had the chance to use that song.”

“Why?” Corrin asked, horrified. “If he was truly his friend… then why?”

“It all started with a single act of uncontrollable rage,” Father murmured. “Anankos could not contain himself and obliterated an entire forest. Fortunately, no one was killed, but humans still cursed him for the destruction. Believing he had grown dangerous and murderous, they tried to kill him.”

Corrin shuddered. Though she’d seen just how dangerous Anankos was — gods above, she’d  _ felt  _ it — that moment had been an accident. An accident all too similar to when she had attacked Azura. The thought of Ryoma trying to kill her because she was too dangerous filled her chest with a heavy chill.

“That is when Anankos lost himself to a most unfortunate thought…” Father’s voice sunk down to a forlorn whisper. “That humans were loathsome things. It was he who had blessed them with such power and prosperity. To turn on their benefactor, their god, and try to destroy the hand that fed... He felt it could only mean one thing.”

“Betrayal,” Corrin whispered.

“Yes,” Father murmured. “Scorned, rejected by humanity, he fled into a remote cave and secluded himself from the rest of the world. His thoughts quickly turned bitter, and he ruminated on the weakness of humans, on how much he loathed them.”

Corrin looked up at the frozen Anankos, feeling very cold as she remembered his words, screamed in anger:  _ “Answer me, Corrin! Why am I the one left to suffer? Why am I the one left to die? Why do humans flourish while I am buried here… ignored… forgotten…” _

And in a moment, she understood just a small bit of why he was so full of hatred. 

She’d felt betrayal before. When she’d made her choice on the plains of Hoshido to not pick a side, to make her own fate, her siblings had all rejected her. She’d been cast out, abandoned, all because she hadn’t picked one side over the other. Because she  _ couldn’t _ pick a side. The rejection had stung, weighing her down, haunting her with every footstep she took. To be an outcast, to be hunted and hated by every side… she knew that feeling very well. 

Anger had never come to her, though. She’d pushed that away, hoping beyond hope that her siblings would eventually understand why she had chosen her path, that she would fight alongside them in battle, not against them. And her hopes had become reality. 

But Anankos, already tormented with madness, hated by all of mankind? It didn’t excuse what he’d done. Nothing could do that. But, in a way, she understood.

And she pitied him.

“He killed Azura’s father because of that?” she asked softly, staring at the stone mask.

“No,” Father said softly. “The king and his family… they believed in him. And that belief saved him, for a long while. But his weakness eventually overcame him, and he destroyed the one man who believed in him.”

Corrin’s eyes closed. “Gods…”

“That is not the end of the story,” Father whispered.

She blinked, turning to face him. “It’s not?”

He smiled sadly, placing a hand on her shoulder. “Seeing the body of his dearest friend, seeing the fear of his wife and child as they fled… It tormented him more than any other thing. And to take away the pain, to fully succumb to the madness and despair, Anankos ripped out his own soul.”

“Wh-What?” she stammered, shocked. “You… You can do that?”

“The body that remains would be nothing more than a shell,” Father explained. “Completely devoid of any sense of right and wrong, unable to do nothing more than survive and destroy. But yes, it can be done. And Anankos’s soul took on human form. It could think and act for itself, yet it had no memory of its past.” He swallowed thickly, though his melancholy smile did not leave him. “A woman, kind and selfless, found him wandering alone, lost and confused. She took him into his care, nursed him back to health, and provided for him. And eventually, he fell in love with her.”

Corrin froze.  _ That… No, this can’t be. It’s not… possible… _

“You know that woman as Mikoto,” Father said softly.

“Then you… You’re…” She couldn’t say the words. A horrible dread settled into her, her hands trembling as she backed away from him, away from the man that stared at her with those red eyes.

“Do you know my name?” he asked, his voice broken.

Her eyes burned as she looked at him. “It can’t be,” she whispered. “You can’t… You  _ can’t…” _

Tears fell from his eyes as he stared at her. “I’m so sorry, Corrin,” Anankos whispered. “I’m so sorry for everything.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Leo voice) We're not done yet!
> 
> When I first began this fic, my purpose (initially) wasn't to jerk everyone's heartstrings. I stared at the original ending for Revelation, and it was nice. But I felt that there was so much more that could be done with it, you know? Especially considering that we never really get to know Anankos in the game itself. He's always insane dragon dude, not the person we discover in Hidden Truths. What if we could get to know Anankos in Hidden Truths, but in a way that fit in the storyline and meant that people didn't have to pay money? (the DLC could still be about his recruitment of the Ylissean Three) Just a thought, but one that I hope you'll entertain as you read this. 
> 
> Another thing I experimented with in this chapter was Kana's POV. I knew I couldn't write it how I write the other characters (third person, past tense) because I really wanted to express how he felt, and that wasn't the right medium to do it. Was it good? Bad? Weird? Jarring? Let me know in the comments. :) I'm very grateful for all the feedback you give me.


	5. Destiny, Help Us

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I've found it is the small things, everyday deeds of ordinary folk that keeps the darkness at bay. Simple acts of kindness and love.” 
> 
> — Gandalf

Corrin stared at Anankos, uncomprehending.

For his part, he only stared at her in sorrow, his hands hanging limply at his side. “I understand,” he said, his voice painfully quiet, “if you hate me.”

Did she? She felt afraid, certainly. If she was alive, her heart would have been pounding, sweat beading on her forehead. But all she could do now was stare and tremble at this man who had treated her so kindly, yet admitted he was the dragon that had killed her.

_ It… It was the madness. In a way, he’s just like Gunter… _

“I don’t hate you,” she whispered truthfully.

“But you are afraid of me,” Anankos replied sadly.

“Yes,” she admitted. “But not… you.” She gestured to him. “I’m afraid of that.” And she pointed up to the dragon hiding behind the mask on the wall. “If everything you’ve told me is true, then you are a good person.”

“You’re far too kind to me,” he said morosely, but he did smile. His crimson eyes twinkled.

She smiled back tentatively. “Maybe. But I’d rather be too kind.” Slowly, she turned to look back at her family, then froze. 

The scene had changed while she’d looked away. Leo’s eyes were open, red and raw, scarred from tears. She’d seen him cry before, but never like this. Never looking so… lost. She wanted to fling herself at him, take him into her arms and tell him that everything was all right, it would all be okay in the end. But as she strode towards him, her fingers reaching up to cradle his cheek, they only passed through his flesh. 

Forrest had his arms around Kana, holding him back as he screamed, clawing against his grip. Everything was so eerily silent, despite the tension in the air.

“I have done the unforgivable sin,” Anankos said softly as he walked towards her, his footsteps inaudible. “But I hope to make it right.”

“You said I could return?” Corrin asked, hope making warmth bloom in her chest. 

“Yes,” Anankos answered her, a soft smile on his face. “Listen carefully, Corrin. Once you return, you must gather the four divine weapons together, along with your Yato. It will transform from its current state into the Omega Yato: the Fire Emblem.”

“But… the Yato broke,” she whispered. “When I blocked Anankos’s — your strike,” she corrected. “It shattered…”

Anankos’s eyes closed. “I had hoped that it would be strong enough to save you. But I was mistaken.” He shuddered. “Seeing you fall… I have not felt such pain since I tore my own soul out.”

Corrin reached for him, grasping his hand. “It’s all right,” she murmured. “If I return… it’ll be like it never happened, right?”

Anankos smiled softly. “Perhaps. The Yato can be repaired, thankfully. With our power, joined together, we can forge the sacred blade anew.” He turned towards the Silent Dragon, his eyes heavy. “Once the Yato has become the Seal of Flames, have your friend Azura sing her song. Alone, it won’t be enough. But it will weaken me enough to give you a fighting chance. And then…” He faced her, a soft smile still on his lips. “I want you to kill me.”

_ “What?” _ The warmth of hope in her chest faded instantly, crushed by the cold spreading through her limbs.

“That is why you came here, is it not?” Anankos murmured. “You must kill the Silent Dragon, Corrin. It is your fate.”

“No,” she said, backing away, shaking her head. “No. I… I can’t!”

“You must,” Anankos said, his voice firm. “I know how much he is suffering, Corrin, for his pain is my own. Until he is stopped, that pain and anguish will drive him to consume this entire world, destroying every trace of humanity until it is nothing more than a barren waste. And it will not stop there.” His voice grew dark as he spoke. “The other worlds that exist throughout time… he will travel to them. And he will destroy those as well, every other world that carries a trace of humanity, in an effort to rebuild his perfect Valla. But he is so very wrong. There is no Valla that he can rebuild.” Slowly, his hand gripped her shoulder. “There is nothing left for him but to fall by your hand. It is the only way.”

“But…  now that I know you, how can I?” she whispered, her tears falling. 

“Because that is the way it must be,” Anankos said softly. His hands clasped hers. “It is the only way to save your friends and family, your world.  _ My _ world.”

“It’s not… This isn’t right,” she whispered. 

“My time has come and gone, Corrin,” Anankos murmured, a soft smile on his lips. “There is no more need of me in this world. And you have so many to live for. Your siblings, your cousin, your husband and children… They all need you. And you do not need me.”

“But I do!” she shouted. “I can’t lose any more family. I  _ can’t!” _ She knew she was being childish. She knew that Anankos needed to die, or else…

Everything was moving faster now. Her body tumbled past her, and Leo faced their children, saying something to them that she couldn’t hear. And behind him, sacred weapons shining bright, Xander and Ryoma led the charge towards the mask on the wall.  

“They’re going to die,” she whispered. “They’re going to die…”

Leo was strong. Even in his grief, he would fight. Xander and Ryoma would lead the army. Hinoka and Camilla would follow, so would and Elise and Sakura and Takumi. Forrest and Kana would be brave enough to try and fight the Silent Dragon. But the thought of them facing Anankos, a being that could kill with less than a thought, horrified her. 

“Facing me as they are would be a futile struggle,” Anankos agreed, his voice mournful. “The sacred weapons they carry are not strong enough, even combined, to pose much threat to me. It was always meant to be my song and your Yato that would be my end.”

“It can’t…” She was trapped once more between two sides, and the panic that had set in on the plains of Hoshido returned, her chest growing tight. To meet her father, only to leave, to  _ kill  _ him, that was painful. But the thought of Forrest and Kana and Leo and her family all meeting their ends at his hands…

That was worse than dying a thousand times.

“I have to go back,” Corrin whispered. “I have to save them.” Her hand tightened around his. “I want to stay. I want to know you, the real you, but I…”

He smiled gently. “I understand.”

“But… there’s a catch, right?” she asked, a lump rising in her throat. “I can’t return just because I want to.”

“No,” Anankos agreed. “And my powers do not extend to the renewal of life, not in one spell. Even if I were whole again, I would be unable to return you to the living world as you were before. You would become like the shades that you fought along your way: lifeless and under my control.”

Corrin shivered as she remembered facing Arete, Sumeragi, and… “I’d be like Mother.”

“Yes.” His face was turned away from her. 

“So, what can I do?” she asked desperately. “I’ll pay whatever price you give me, Father. Just let me return. Let me save them.” Even if it was as a lifeless monster, even if she died again straight after, she’d return just to make sure that her family was safe. That Leo was alive, that Kana and Forrest would be unharmed. 

He smiled. “Fear not. A way has been provided.”

 

* * *

 

Forrest choked back sobs as Father strode towards the monstrous dragon. Brynhildr was in his hands, glowing with a harsh light that pushed away the inky blackness. The very ground shattered beneath his feet, pulses of gravity tearing it apart and ripping chunks of stone up to circle Father, enveloping him in a shield of earth. It was an awe-inspiring sight, seeing him at the peak of his power. This wasn’t just summoning trees or pushing back people. This was Brynhildr at its finest. This was his father unleashed. 

But Forrest did not feel awe. He only felt numb, aching despair as he saw Father raise his hand, blinding light seeping through his cupped fingers.

Even with the dust and the rocks flying around him, Forrest could still see him crying.

_ We’re going to die. We’re all going to die, just like Mother… _

No. Chin up, back straight, head tall. This was not the end. If there was one thing his mother had taught him, it was the value of inner strength. She hadn’t buckled under the pressure of her decision on the plains of Hoshido. She hadn’t buckled under the pressure of uniting two kingdoms together into one army. Even as she’d charged Anankos, the Alpha Yato glowing against the darkness, she’d done it with courage. 

He had to be brave now. He had to carry on her courage, if not for himself, then for Kana and his father. Quickly, he pulled his brother away from Mother’s body and drew him close, shielding him from Anankos’s rage. His aunts and uncles charged the monster, desperately trying to fight the dragon with their weapons, divine and mundane. “Stay with me,” he breathed, wiping Kana’s tears. “I’ll look after you.”

He couldn’t leave. Despite Father’s orders to go back to the Astral Plane, Forrest found himself unable to move. He didn’t know whether it was terror or love that rooted him to the spot, but he could not leave the throne room with Kana.

If he did, his father would be facing Anankos alone.

Kana wailed as the maw of the beast opened, splitting the mask bound to its face in two. Light erupted from that gaping hole, and Forrest watched in horror as Uncle Xander was barely able to dodge the attack, Aunt Sakura crying out in fear.  _ They’re losing… _

But what could he do? Yes, Father had began to teach him how to use tomes, but he was still a novice, hardly a master! The dragonstone he carried would grant him more power, but even that wouldn’t be enough. Compared to his family, even to Kana and his proficiency with his dragon form, he was powerless.

All he could do was heal. But that hadn’t been enough to save Mother.

“Child!”

Forrest gasped, shielding Kana with his arms as he saw Gunter approach. The older gentleman’s face was desperate, something clutched in his armored hands. Quickly, Forrest backed away, Kana sheltered in his grip as his mother’s old bodyguard limped towards them, still recovering from his self-inflicted stab wound. “Stay away!” he shouted, reaching desperately for the dragonstone at his neck. 

Yet Gunter held no sword, and as Forrest focused, he realized that he was holding a staff, ornate and delicate. The crystal that powered it was enormous, the largest he’d ever seen, and bound to the staff by a crescent and seven prongs. It was unlike any stave or festal he’d ever seen before, much less used. “Take this, child, and use it quickly!” Gunter shouted, thrusting the staff at him.

“Wh-What?” Forrest breathed. Kana whimpered against him, his fingers locking into his shirt. “I don’t understand— ”

“Neither do I, but it must serve some purpose,” Gunter insisted. “Take it!”

Forrest stared at the elegant staff for a long moment, then released Kana and took it reverently in his hands. It truly was a beautiful thing, long and slender and ivory, with golden filigree and a soft leather handle. 

“F-Forrest?” Kana whispered, his tear filled eyes wide. “What does it do?”

“I don’t know,” Forrest whispered.  _ But the healing crystal is far larger than I’ve ever seen before. This staff would carry enormous power, perhaps enough to… _

Could it be?

He stared at the body of his mother, tossed away by Father into the wreckage. Though he cringed at the blood staining her fair skin and her blackened armor, hope welled in his chest. She hadn’t been dead for more than three minutes at this point. And he’d read of studies that said that the body truly wasn’t beyond saving unless four minutes had passed beyond the supposed time of death.

_ Is there a chance? _

Quickly, he ran to her side, the knees of his trousers ripping on the rubble as he knelt next to her.  _ Please, gods,  _ he prayed, summoning every shred of energy he had.  _ Let her come back to us. Let her live again. Please… _ Though he’d failed this last time, he would not fail again. Not this time. 

The air suddenly hummed, the staff vibrating with power, and he gasped as the crystal began to glow. A rainbow of colors spilled over Mother in bright hues. “Forrest?” Kana asked, his voice awestruck. “Wow…”

Slowly, carefully, the way that both Aunt Elise and Aunt Sakura had taught him, Forrest inhaled deeply and focused the magic on Mother’s body, on her very soul.  _ Be healed, _ he thought, waving the staff over her, watching as the rainbow light settled into her motionless frame.  _ Be healed. Let there be no more pain. Please, Mother, come back—  _

A shattering noise filled his ears, along with Kana’s gasp.

Forrest stared in horror as the crystal powering the staff crumbled to dust, the beautiful iridescent glow gone in an instant. “N-No,” he whispered, his eyes stinging with tears as the rainbow light around Mother dissipated, vanishing into the dusty air. “No, Mother,  _ please…” _

“Mama,” Kana sobbed, falling to his knees next to her, tugging at her shredded cape. “Mama! Come back!”

_ Inner strength. You have to be brave, for Kana and Father and everyone else. _ Yet, his tears dripped from his chin as he touched Mother’s cheek, weeping.

_ Crack. _

He glanced down, then gaped.

Ice bloomed from Mother’s chest, spider webbing out like frost on a window. Delicate strands of frost crept over blackened steel, encasing armor and flesh alike. Forrest rose a trembling hand to his lip as the ice slowly encroached onto her face, her entire body completely enveloped after only a few moments. His breath misted as he exhaled shakily, and Kana clung to his sleeve. “Forrest,” he whispered, his eyes wide. “What’s happening?”

“I… I don’t know,” he whispered back, clutching the broken staff in his hands.

_ Mother… Are you returning? _

 

* * *

 

The world suddenly changed.

Everything was growing blurry, fading away from her sight, and Corrin stared at Anankos in confusion. “What…” Then, she gasped as she saw her hands: white and coated with frost, spreading down to her fingertips.

Anankos smiled. “It’s time.”

“You mean… I can go back?” she whispered.

“When Gunter arrived in Gyges the first time, I gave him the Bifröst staff,” Anankos explained. “That staff has the ability to resurrect the dead completely. It took all my skill to forge such a thing, and even then, it can only be used once. Reversing death is something that is not easily done, but I feared the worst. Thankfully, your family is not willing to give up on you.” His eyes focused on something behind her, and Corrin whirled around, then grinned.

Kneeling beside her broken body, his eyes closed in determination, sat Forrest. In his hands was a beautiful staff, the gemstone glowing with a light that warmed her from the soles of her feet to the crown of her head, even with the frost creeping over her.

“Forrest,” she whispered, smiling.

“You really do have such remarkable children,” Anankos said warmly. His eyes grew wistful as he stared at Forrest and Kana. “Their father must be remarkable as well.”

Corrin blushed. “Yeah,” she said, glancing towards Leo in the distance. Her eyes widened as she saw the rocks swirling around him, the brilliant glow of Brynhildr in his hand. She’d never seen him do that before.

“They miss you terribly,” Anankos whispered. “And so will I. But you must return home.” His arms encircled her, and she hugged him back, tucking her head against his neck for their final embrace. Gently, he pulled away, then offered her a warm smile. “Farewell, my child. Know this: though my mind and my strength fail me, my love for you will endure forever.”

Tears came to her eyes. “I-I love you too.”

“I’m sorry,” he murmured. “For everything that you have had to endure, I am truly sorry. This will be how I atone.” His hands framed her face, and she froze as he pressed a kiss to her forehead. “Let Azura sing her song. Tell her to not be afraid: she won’t fade away. Use the Fire Emblem to end it all. And then… then I will finally be able to rest.”

Her hands wrapped around his, and she squeezed her eyes shut. “I… I won’t give up,” she whispered. “I promise. I’ll bring peace to our kingdom. And to you.”

“Thank you,” Anankos whispered. “I believe in you.”

And she gasped as he faded away from her grasp, leaving her standing in a forest with shattered light streaming from above.

“You go now to the world of the living?”

Corrin froze as she saw Arete walk towards her, her face devoid of the cruel mask she’d worn before. “Yes,” Corrin answered. 

“Perhaps you know of what I am about to ask,” Arete said quietly. “You have already watched over my daughter so kindly.”

“I won’t stop,” Corrin promised. “I’ll take care of her, Your Majesty. I promise.”

The Vallite queen smiled. “Thank you. Safe travels, young Corrin. And tell my daughter… her mother loves her without end.”

The forest faded, and her breath caught as she stood in the dark dungeons of Castle Gyges. Her hands trembled as she stared at the woman before her, dressed in white robes, a radiant smile on her face that held none of the emptiness of before. “Mother,” she whispered.

Mikoto chuckled fondly. “Oh, Corrin… You’re so sweet when you’re dreaming. Just like the little girl I held so long ago…”

Tears rimmed her eyes as she stared at the woman she had once been so close to. “Can you forgive me?” she whispered. “For not saving you?”

“Child,” she murmured softly, and Corrin froze as she drew her into a gentle embrace. “Please, forgive yourself. Your heart cannot always be torn in two.” Her fingers stroked her hair, and Corrin squeezed her eyes shut at the soothing gesture. “You must be one and whole for many years. There is so much for you to learn and to be and to do.” 

“I know,” Corrin whispered. “I just… I never knew you the way I should. And when you died, I— ”

Mikoto’s smile silenced her. “My dear Corrin. All that time, I longed to be near you, to watch you grow. But I’m so grateful for the time we had together. I will cherish it always. No matter where you go or what you do… No matter who stands at your side… Know that I will always, always love you. When we next meet, I look forward to seeing the great woman you’ve grown into.”

Corrin swallowed thickly. “I’ll do all I can to make you proud. I promise, Mother.”

“Hearing you call me that means everything to me,” Mikoto murmured. Slowly, she pulled away, a smile on her lips. “Go now. I will watch the rest of your journey unfold from afar.” And Corrin could only wish her goodbye as once again, the world faded.

The stone was cold beneath her feet as she stared at the stairs leading to the throne room above. And standing next to her, one hand resting on the katana at his side, was Sumeragi.

“When I brought you to Cheve, I never could have imagined what would happen to you,” he said softly, his voice grave. “I thought simply to bond with you, as I had already done with my other children. To think that the monster possessing Garon would have kidnapped you…”

“I don’t blame you for it,” Corrin said instantly. Her throat grew thick as she stared at Sumeragi. “You… You died in my defense. I couldn’t ask for anything more from you.”

“Then perhaps it is I that will ask something from you,” he said softly. “Can you forgive me, Corrin? Can you forgive my weakness?”

She smiled. “I already have. Long, long ago. After all, if we had escaped that day, I doubt that I would be here. I never would have gone to Nohr, I never would have learned the truth, I never would have…”  _ I never would have met Leo. _

He chuckled. “That’s true, isn’t it? So many things would be different, if the outcome of that day had gone as I’d hoped… I suppose that is the gift of hindsight. Or perhaps merely optimism.” He turned, then grasped her shoulder. “You’ve become a fine warrior, Corrin, and an even finer woman. Though I am not your blood father, perhaps I can say that I did a father’s duty in protecting you.”

“You… You were my father,” she whispered. “I’ve never thought of you as anything less.” She smiled. “Thank you, Father, for everything you’ve done for me.”

“I hope for your victory,” he murmured. “And know this: I am very proud of you.”

She swallowed, then nodded, watching as the world vanished. Yet, she froze as she encountered a much different scene than she’d expected.

Instead of the broken Vallite throne room, she was standing on a balcony overlooking a small garden, a lovely fountain underneath. The architecture was Nohrian, and she whirled around, confused.

Then, she gasped as she came face to face with King Garon.

“Peace,” he murmured softly, and she froze as she saw just how  _ different _ this man looked compared to the king she’d spoken with before her departure to Hoshido. Instead of cold grey skin, he was pale but healthy, his beard streaked with grey instead of white, his hair a pale blonde. His brown eyes were warm, and in a surreal moment, they reminded her of Leo’s: sharp and clear, yet soft and brimming with life.

“You… You’re dead?” she asked, shocked.

“I have been for many years,” he answered her mournfully, his steps echoing as he walked to the balcony. “Though no one ever realized it. It was a moment of weakness, one that I regret dearly.” 

“How?” she whispered, feeling very cold.

“My second wife, Arete, faded away before my very eyes,” Garon explained. “Destroyed by the Vallite curse that Anankos created. I’d already lost my first love, and so many of the other women that I kept with me had died from illness, poison, or the sword. I couldn’t bear it. My family, my precious sons and daughters, murdering each other in cold blood… I wanted peace. I wanted escape. So late one night, after my last murdered child was buried, in the depths of my despair, I came here.”

Corrin’s throat tightened painfully. “You killed yourself?”

“I didn’t realize it, but Anankos’s hold was already strong upon this place,” Garon murmured. “It drove my concubines to violence, my children to destruction. And it drove me to my death. But I do not pretend that this excuses my actions.” He slowly turned to face her, his eyes grim. “My corpse was possessed by the monster that now inhabits it. It feasted upon my flesh and memories alike, and we became something… unnatural. That was the monster that killed Sumeragi and took you to Nohr.”

“Then, you…” She shuddered. “That was never you. You were always dead.” Yet, she couldn’t push the memory of Garon’s hand covering her face, of his brutal orders for her to kill innocent lives, out of her mind.

“I do not need forgiveness,” Garon said softly. “I cannot ask it of you. But I will ask you this.” He took a step towards her. “Please, watch over my children. Protect them. Guide them. Shelter them in my place. And tell them the truth of what happened here. Perhaps they will not understand, but I want them to know that their father always loved them.”

“I…” She swallowed. “I will.”

And Garon smiled. It was not the eerie grin she’d seen before, but a kindly look, one that she wished she could have seen before. “Thank you, child. Thank you for being a light to my son.” 

She returned his smile tentatively. “You’re welcome.”

The Nohrian balcony faded away, and she stood in only a black void.  _ Is this it? Am I ready? _

“Not quite.”

Corrin gasped as Lilith suddenly appeared, her hair carefully braided, her white apron neat as always. “Lilith,” she whispered, a sudden jolt of horror striking her. If she was here, then that meant… “It can’t be…”

“It’s all right, Lady Corrin,” she said warmly. “I’m not dead. But it’s time for you to come home.” Slowly, she extended her hand. “Do you remember when you rescued me? Your hands were so warm back then. I suppose… I’m doing this to return the favor.” A soft smile turned up her lips. “I love you dearly, Corrin. And no matter what happens, I will always watch over you.”

Corrin smiled. “Thank you.”

“Are you ready?” Lilith asked. “Facing your father will be no easy task.”

“I know,” Corrin murmured. “But I… I have to free him, Lilith. Will you help me?”

“Of course,” she whispered. “Remember. Everyone that you saw is fighting at your side. They believe in you, just as you believe in them. You will not be alone.” Gently, her hand tugged her forward, as if leading her towards a faraway destination.  _ “Awaken.” _

And when Corrin woke, breathing in frigid air, she stared into the eyes of her children.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Forrest is the true hero of this story, in case you couldn't tell.
> 
> When I decided that I would kill off Corrin, the inevitable question arose: "How is she supposed to come back?" Fortunately, the game answered this for me. Ever wondered why Gunter was carrying a Bifrost in Chapter 26? Now you know. :) Anankos spent most of his time, when he wasn't looking for warriors to protect his daughter, perfecting the Bifrost. While anyone who could use a staff probably could have brought Corrin back from the dead, Forrest was the most fitting choice.
> 
> Corrin visiting the spirits of everyone she'd fought in Revelation, including Garon, was something I'd always wanted to do. I thought it would only be fitting if she learned the truth about what happened to him, along with being able to talk to her aunt and parents one last time. Lilith bringing her back to the living world was just the cherry on top.
> 
> Thanks so much for reading!


	6. Ember of Hope

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “And as the world comes to an end,  
> I’ll be there to hold your hand  
> Because you’re my king, and I’m your lionheart.”
> 
> — King and Lionheart, Of Monsters and Men

The world was a blur of sound and light, and Leo could not comprehend it.

Stone broke under his feet, the waves of gravity pulsing from Brynhildr pulverizing it to rubble, then tossing it in the air. He could hear the shouts of his brother and sisters, the cries of the Hoshidans as they tried desperately to attack Anankos, to somehow wound him.

It was no use. Their weapons couldn’t break the mask protecting the Silent Dragon, and the only one that could lay shattered on the floor, utterly broken.

Brynhildr’s glow was bright against the darkness that coalesced around Anankos, but his tears dulled the light, dripping off his chin and onto the cold stone below. His eyes stung and burned, his throat ached, and his very face throbbed. He’d cried before, of course. Some might call him emotionless, the Nohrian prince with a heart of stone, but Corrin had known better. She’d always known better. She’d always been there, a smile on her lips as she’d comforted him, wiping away his tears.  _ It’ll be all right, _ she’d always said.

But it wasn’t. The world would never be right again. Not without her.

He cast a spell, tree branches and vines tearing at the mask on Anankos’s face, but the dragon easily shook them off. Siegfried glanced off the unharmed stone, and the Fujin Yumi’s arrows faded away on contact. The Raijinto only made Anankos roar in annoyance. This was a fight they could not win. They all knew that. 

But they fought anyway. Anankos could not be allowed to reach Corrin’s body. If he did…

Leo could picture it. Corrin, wreathed in violet flames, grasping for a sword, speaking to him with her voice. But her eyes would never be the same. They would be empty, soulless, revealing her for the empty shell that she was. Perhaps she would smile at him. Perhaps she would embrace him one last time before she killed him. He would be incapable of fighting back. He remembered encountering her at Izumo so long ago, when he’d been an angry selfish fool, determined to bring her home to Nohr where he thought she belonged.

He couldn’t lift a finger to harm her then. He knew that it would be impossible for him now.

So he desperately cast spells at Anankos, pushing him back, distracting him from the body he’d flung away. He would never forgive himself for that; though he’d done many horrible things while serving his father, he’d never desecrated a corpse. The thought of her crumpled in the rubble behind him, thrown away like garbage, nearly brought him to his knees.

But he pressed on. He’d lost so much, but he still had two reasons to continue fighting.

_ Did they escape? _ he wondered as he stepped away from the burst of white light Anankos had flung at them.  _ Did they make it back to the Astral Plane? _ That was another thing he’d never forgive himself for: tossing Forrest and Kana away, though he’d wanted as much distance between them and Anankos as he could manage. Anankos had already taken too much from him. He couldn’t take his sons. Not his children. They were all he had now.

At least this way, they wouldn’t see him die. Corrin’s death would scar them, and he wouldn’t burden them with the sight of him falling for their sakes. They deserved better than that.

_ I’m so sorry. I love you. _ He’d whispered those words as they’d fallen away, though he’d known that they would never hear him. He knew he was weak. But everything had fallen apart so fast, everything had crumbled, and he didn’t know what to do. He always had a plan, always had a solution, but there was no solution to this.

Leo had nearly lost Corrin many times before: in battle, in Izumo, on the Plains of Hoshido, when she’d nearly fallen into the Bottomless Canyon…

A memory suddenly flooded him: a time when he’d seen how lonely she’d been in the Northern Fortress, her desperation to just see a falling star tearing into his heart. Though she could never leave, he’d begged Xander to let him take her outside, just for a day. Just so she could experience more than cold stone walls and closed iron gates. Xander had refused, of course — he’d always followed Father’s orders faithfully, no matter how much it pained him — but Leo hadn’t listened. He’d spirited Corrin away, bringing her to a meadow.

And then she’d slipped out of his sight for a mere moment, and he’d lost her. 

She’d been safe, of course, and they’d reunited shortly after. And Leo had watched as she’d simply stared up at the falling stars, a brilliant smile on her face. Despite him risking her life, despite the danger she’d faced, she had smiled and thanked him.

A bitter pain crushed his chest as he realized he’d never see her smile again. 

His tears fell, but he didn’t wipe them. His hands ached, but he didn’t rest. His knees were weak, and all he wanted to do was collapse on the ground and let himself drown in the dark.

But he could not. Because if he stopped, if he paused for even a second, the agony of Corrin’s death would consume him. It already scalded him, making his eyes burn and his body tremble, but somehow, he held himself together. He had to be strong. He had to endure. 

He had to do what no one else could.

Anankos’s jaw split open, and both Camilla and Hinoka flew out of the way, their mounts screaming as the air charged with raw power. “Leo!” Xander shouted, but he didn’t turn. The light bloomed between the jagged cracks of the stone mask, and though he knew that he should run, he had no more strength. His legs buckled, and he fell to the dusty ground, unable to do anything besides kneel.

Brynhildr suddenly hummed in his hands, and his eyes widened as the tome nearly blinded him with its radiance.  _ What…? _

Then, he froze as he stared up at Anankos. The light was reaching its crescendo, pushing back the darkness, and his heart raced.  _ I… I can’t escape that.  _ Nothing he could do would block that attack, and he was too slow to dodge it. He could hear his name being shouted behind him, but they couldn’t save him either. His limbs trembled, his energy gone, and he realized that this was the end. He’d failed.

_ I’m sorry. I couldn’t… I couldn’t save you. _

The world went white.

“I’m with you.”

Suddenly, something warm and soft grasped his shoulder, and he stared in shock as  _ something _ swung up in front of his face, blocking out the white light. There was no pain, no burning like he’d expected, and Anankos’s attack was knocked back by the object, fading into nothing.  _ H-How? _

The object that had saved him was a sword. Instantly, he recognized it as the Yato — no other sword he’d seen had a golden blade and hilt like it — but it had changed. Instead of blue, it glowed like a live coal, serrated edges rotating around the blade. If he hadn’t seen it so close, he would have assumed that somehow the sacred sword had caught on fire.

Wrapped around the hilt of the blade were slender yet strong fingers. His eyes widened as he stared at the hand, then at the arm, then at…

A pair of crimson eyes stared at him, twinkling with life and light and love.

He didn’t understand. He couldn’t comprehend. His eyes stared at her, but they couldn’t process what they were seeing.  _ This can’t be…  _

Corrin crouched next to him, her armor still blackened and cracked, but her skin whole. She was covered in frost, and he could hear ice cracking as she shifted, lowering the Yato to the ground. Her full lips parted, quirking up in a smile, and she said, her voice soft and sweet, “Sorry. I overslept.”

His hand slipped to her cheek — he had to confirm that he wasn’t suddenly hallucinating —  and warm wet skin greeted his fingertips. She was solid, real, not consumed by a purple aura, not cold and lifeless in his arms. She was  _ alive. _ Somehow.

And she was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen in his entire life.

“Leo?” she whispered, concern in her voice as her hand squeezed his shoulder. “Are you—”

Somehow, he was able to choke out her name before he pulled her into his embrace, weeping.

Her arms, strong and warm and real, wrapped around him, holding him together as he pressed his face to her neck. And though the logical part of him screamed that they were in danger, all self-restraint escaped him, and he sobbed against her, tears that ripped at his throat and burned his eyes. Every part of him ached, every part of him trembled from exertion.

Yet his fatigue vanished, replaced by an energy that buzzed through every inch of him, making his skin tingle. Though he trembled, he clung to her with a fierce grip, feeling her heat seep into him, small droplets of water falling onto his skin as the ice on her melted. Every sensation, every sound and smell and touch was wonderful, for it confirmed that this was real. She was alive, she was here, she was smiling at him, unharmed, still whole.

“You,” he gasped, his voice cracking as he kissed her neck, “have the devil’s own luck.”

She laughed, and the sound was like music. Gods, he could barely think, he was so overwhelmed by her presence. Just the sound of her  _ breathing _ was intoxicating to him. He drowned himself in her warmth, in her touch, his breathing reduced to shallow gasps as he greedily inhaled her scent.

_ “So… you awaken.” _

The euphoria of her return vanished, and Leo’s eyes widened as he stared at the Silent Dragon, his grip around Corrin tightening as he nestled her against him, shielding her from Anankos.  _ No. Not again. Never again. _ It was a pure miracle that she was with him now, in his arms, and he would not let Anankos take her from him again.

“It’s okay,” she whispered, her voice pushing down the panic in his heart. “I’m sorry for worrying you. But I’m back now. I won’t leave you.”

_ “I had hoped that you would not return,” _ Anankos rumbled, his voice causing the ground to shake. Leo scrambled to grasp Brynhildr — he’d dropped it when he’d embraced Corrin — and warm energy jolted up his arm as he opened the book.  _ “But it does not matter. You only delay the inevitable. Ready your sword, so that I may shatter it anew.” _

“This is the Seal of Flames,” Corrin said, her voice firm. “The Omega Yato, the Fire Emblem. You can try all you want, but it will never break.”

Leo’s breath hitched as once more, the mask split open, light pooling between its jaws. Yet Corrin stood her ground, her head lifted tall as she raised the Yato in front of her, ready to block Anankos’s attack. And though he’d seen her sword survive Anankos’s strike, fear still made him shake.  _ Just run! _

A ball of bright light descended towards her, but it faded uselessly against the blade, and Leo could breathe again.

_ “WHAT?!”  _ Anankos roared.

Corrin rose from her knees, though she still grasped Leo’s hand. “You see?” she said. “You can’t break it. This blade isn’t just strengthened by the divine weapons. This blade was reforged by Arete, by Mikoto, by Sumeragi. And by you.” Her grip around it tightened. “Everyone that I cherish… their power is locked inside my Yato. That means it will never falter… and neither will I.”

_ “Impossible! That remnant died years ago! I destroyed him myself!” _ Leo staggered to his feet, Brynhildr open but pressed to his heart to protect it from the falling dust.

“That remnant is you!” Corrin shouted. “I swore to you that I would save you, and I will! This is the road I’ve taken, and you were always meant to be at the end of it! I will make things right again, Anankos!” She sucked in a deep breath. “I will save this world.  _ Our _ world. And all the other worlds that you would destroy. I promise.”

Anankos was silent for an eerily long moment, and Leo stared at Corrin, trying to understand her words.  _ Promise? To save Anankos? _ Something had changed while she was gone, he realized. Something had happened, something significant.

Then, the Silent Dragon laughed.  _ “Pitiful. You stand there with your Fire Emblem and still think that you can vanquish me? This is only a small fraction of my power. GARON!” _

Leo cringed as the room was filled with light, then froze.

His father stood there in front of them, his eyes cold and hard as steel. The sight of him, dressed in Nohrian armor and robes, in the middle of the ruined Vallite throne room was so jarring it was almost unbelievable. “F-Father?” he whispered.

“Father, what are you doing here?” Xander asked, his voice ragged, his face pale from shock or fear, Leo could not tell. 

“I serve the great Anankos,” Garon replied, as casually as if they were all standing in the throne room giving an after-mission report. “Of course I would come when called.”

“Is that… King Garon?” a soft voice asked, and Leo whirled around to see Forrest and Kana behind him, both staring at his father with wide eyes. 

Before Leo could ask them why they hadn’t fled to the Astral Plane, Corrin spoke. “No. It’s only a monster that wears his shape. The real King Garon…” She swallowed, then wrapped her arm around Leo’s waist. “He died thirteen years ago.”

_ What? _ Leo’s eyes darted to the man standing in front of them, the man that he instantly recognized as his father. “H-How?” he rasped. 

“I’ll explain later,” Corrin whispered, her voice heavy.

“My lord,” Garon said, falling to one knee. “I apologize for the failure of my servant, Gunter. He was a poor conduit for your power.” Slowly, he raised his arms, as if beseeching a deity. And, with a numbing chill, Leo realized that he  _ was. _ This was the dragon Father had worshipped for years. No. Not his father.   _ He was… He was a monster all this time? And we never knew? _

“I ask you to use me as your vessel,” Garon said reverently. “Use me to channel your mighty power instead! Join with me, and together we can—”

Before he even had the chance to finish, the mask split open, and Leo watched as his father was swallowed whole.

_ “Father!” _ Xander cried, and he heard mirroring screams from Camilla and Elise. Leo’s lips parted, but nothing came out. The shock of everything — Corrin’s death and resurrection, Anankos’s words, and now his father’s death — was all too much. His knees nearly buckled, and it was only Corrin’s arm around his waist that kept him standing. 

Kana’s small hand rested on Leo’s arm, Forrest drawing near to them, and Leo swallowed down the lump in his throat as Anankos lifted his head from the ground.  _ “He was a useful servant,” _ the dragon rasped.  _ “But his time is over.” _

Corrin’s face was pale. “What?”

_ “SILENCE!” _ Anankos roared.  _ “You will regret facing me! I will crush your bones beneath my feet—and even that fate is more than you deserve!” _

Leo grasped Kana, his eyes wide as the mask cracked, crumbling away. Through the hole in the wall, he could see eyes, too many of them, a familiar bright crimson that made his stomach curl into knots.  _ What… _

Then, the room  _ exploded _ , and he curled himself around his son, shielding him from the shrapnel as rock cut across armor and skin alike. Light suddenly flooded the dark room, and with a start, Leo realized that the entire throne room was exposed to the broken Vallite sky. 

And above them, flying in the air on massive wings, loomed Anankos.

_That’s…_ _How are we supposed to fight that?_ he thought in a panic, holding Kana tight. The Silent Dragon was _enormous,_ easily as large as the entirety of Castle Gyges. Perhaps it was even as large as Castle Krakenburg. Forrest gasped, raising a hand to his mouth, yet Corrin’s lips only pressed together firmly.

Darkness coalesced around Anankos’s head, and Leo’s heart nearly stopped as he felt the waves of energy pulsing through the air, almost tangible. Yet, the dragon did not direct his attack at them: instead, he released the bolt of power into the air, and the hair on the nape of Leo’s neck stood on end as he saw the growing dark portal, eating away the blue and cloudy sky until there was nothing on the horizon but the darkness.

The floor cracked beneath them ominously, rubble beginning to spiral towards the portal.  _ He’s sucking us in, _ Leo realized, his heart pounding. A boulder suddenly shot past them, crashing into the remnants of the wall as it tumbled into the black emptiness. And… was that an entire  _ island _ drifting towards the horizon? He gasped in short, shallow breaths, and Kana whimpered in his arms as the dragon flew towards them, vicious claws extended, ready to—

Corrin’s hand suddenly found his shoulder. “It’ll be all right,” she said softly. The Omega Yato glowed like an ember, pushing back the darkness. The arm holding it was wrapped around Forrest’s waist, pressing him to her side. Her eyes met Leo’s, and he was struck at how bright they were, even in the dark. They almost appeared to be on fire, and suddenly the fear inside of him faded away. Not entirely; there was still panic as the dragon descended towards them, red eyes burning in the dark. But Corrin’s very presence put his fears at bay. Her hand found Leo’s, and she smiled softly as their fingers interlaced.

Even as Anankos pulled the entire remnant of the throne room away into the darkness, Leo didn’t panic. He didn’t scream, not like some of the others. Corrin was here, with him, standing by him.

That was all that mattered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Man, today is just not Leo's day.
> 
> Anyway, there's really not a lot of fun background stuff for this chapter, besides Monster!Garon being revealed for who he is. The kids took it hard enough in Conquest. I wonder how they'd react to it here -- Azura did tell them that Garon was pretty much gone, but I don't think it ever really mentally clicked for them, not like it did in Conquest. And plus, seeing your dad get eaten by a giant dragon is sort of worse than fighting a slime monster, if you ask me. Either way, I brutally curbstomped Leo's emotions this chapter. Oops. 
> 
> Thanks for reading! Let me know what you thought in the comments. :D


	7. The End of All Roads

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “When the night has come and the land is dark  
> And the moon is the only light we’ll see  
> No, I won’t be afraid, no, I won’t be afraid  
> Just as long as you stand, stand by me.”
> 
> — Stand by Me, Ben E. King

When the rumbling finally stopped, Azura shivered as she stared at the cold dark sky, filled with innumerable stars. _We’re in the void between worlds…_ Her mother had described this place to her before, when she was just a child. _Ginnungagap,_ she’d called it. The gaping abyss. She looked up at the distant twinkling lights, then realized that they weren’t stars at all: they were portals to the deeprealms, to other worlds, other Astral Planes. _Why would he take us here?_

Then, she stared at Anankos, and her heart nearly stopped.

The dragon was enormous, far larger than she could have imagined from what Mother had told her. Leathery wings stretched impossibly far on each side, massive claws grasping the edge of the island they stood upon. And its _face…_ A sphere rotated in between perpetually open jaws, crimson eyes opening and closing upon its surface as the dragon stared down at them. _Gods above… How…_

“This… This is impossible,” Takumi whispered, his Fujin Yumi trembling in his hand as he drew close to Camilla. “There’s no way we can defeat that…”

“Damn it, what do we do?” Hinoka asked, her voice shaking. Sakura and Elise shook, and even Camilla looked pale. Azura found herself shaking as she stared up at the Silent Dragon. _This thing… This is what killed my father._

_How do we fight that?_

Ryoma sighed, then let out a bitter chuckle. “We’ve come so far… Yet I never thought I’d die side by side with a Nohrian.”

“And what about side by side with a friend?” Xander asked, a wry smile on his lips.

Ryoma stood there for a small moment, then smiled back. “I suppose,” he said, his voice wistful, “I could do that.”

To hear her adoptive older brothers casually joking about facing their deaths… Azura swallowed thickly. _Have we failed? Were we destined to fail from the start?_

“No.”

Corrin’s voice was firm as she turned to look at them, her crimson eyes sharp and clear. “No one is going to die today,” she said. “Don’t give up. No matter how massive this dragon seems, we can win as long as we work together. Don’t stop believing in yourselves. We’ve fought too hard to give up now.”

And as Azura stared at her, at the woman who had returned from death itself to end this war, she found herself standing a little taller. There weren’t any cheers or shouts of agreement from the rest of the army members. But she could see the hope in the eyes of the others. _Maybe… we can do this._

“Ryoma and Elise,” Corrin said. “Take the left side. Destroy Anankos’s hand. That should weaken him.” She gestured towards the clawed hand grasping the left side of the slab of rock they stood upon.

“We’ll do our best!” Elise said, her voice cheerful as she took Ryoma’s hand. The Hoshidan prince chuckled, his eyes twinkling at her enthusiasm.

“Xander and Sakura, you’ll take the right and disable the other hand,” Corrin declared. They nodded, looking at each other with soft gazes. “Divide the army as you see fit. We’ll attack Anankos from all sides.”

“And what about you, darling?” Camilla asked, resting her hand on the pommel of her axe.

“Me?” Corrin glanced behind them, at the dragon latched onto their battlefield. “I’m going to take a more… direct approach.”

“Not alone,” Leo said instantly, his hand grasping her shoulder. Corrin smiled up at him, then nodded her agreement.

Finally, she turned her crimson eyes towards Azura. “Azura,” she began, but Azura held up her hand.

“I know what you want to ask,” she said, her fingers latching around her pendant.

Corrin nodded, her red eyes solemn. “Without your song, everything will be for nothing. Don’t worry — you won’t fade away.” Azura blinked at that statement; how had Corrin known about the dangers of using her pendant too much? Yet, at the same time, she felt… relieved. She’d held back from using her pendant, for fear that she would befall the same fate as her mother.

But now, she let that fear go. This was the end of their road, but not hers. “I’ll sing without restraint,” she said softly. “You’ll have to act while its effects are at their strongest.”

“I understand,” Corrin said. “Thank you, Azura.”

“I’ll begin the song now,” she said softly, smiling at her cousin. “I ask that you all watch over me until the end.”

“Of course,” Corrin whispered.

_“I will…”_

Azura froze at that voice.

_“I will always… be at your side…”_

Suddenly, the ground beneath her feet began to glow with a soft blue light, and Azura’s heart raced as the fatigue in her limbs vanished. “Mother,” she whispered, her eyes filling with tears. She’d recognized that voice the instant she’d heard it. _We’ll always be together, won’t we?_ She stared at the glowing ground, then clasped her hands in front of her. _Please, give me the strength for this…_

“This is it!” Corrin shouted. “Everyone, move out!”

Azura closed her eyes, thinking of the words to the song that her mother had taught her, so long ago when they’d lived in Nohr. A song of a person caught between two worlds. A song of a person chosen by fate.

A song of a dragon, lost in thoughts, all alone.

She cleared her throat once, then began. _“You are the ocean’s grey waves…”_

And with that, the army rushed forward, heads held high, charging the Silent Dragon.

 

* * *

 

“You all right, dear?” Camilla asked, guiding Marzia low towards the invisible soldiers on the ground.

“Fine!” Takumi yelled back, a gorgeous arrow of light streaking from his Fujin Yumi. Camilla smiled, then swiped with her axe, cutting the berserker down who had tried to hack at him. Though before at the sight of Corrin’s death she’d nearly lost herself to despair, now she felt the ember of hope inside her, pushing her forward. _We can do this. We can win._

Somehow, her darling Corrin had managed to come back from the dead. Camilla didn’t question it; she didn’t need to know how or why.

All that mattered was that now they had a chance.

“On your left!” Takumi yelled, and Camilla jerked Marzia to the side, switching to a tome. The shadowy general faded as she struck him with a burst of magic, though more soldiers rose from the ground. _Dear, dear, so many enemies to kill, so little time…_

Takumi and her had both stayed behind, fighting the Vallites that emerged from the shadows. With her axe and his Fujin Yumi, they managed to cut through the meddlesome things without too much trouble. Her hand shook slightly from exertion as she wiped at her brow.

Yet, her exhaustion had faded. Azura’s song, haunting yet beautiful, filled her with strength. She could see it revitalizing Takumi as well; earlier he’d looked haggard and worn, but now he sat up tall in the saddle, firing arrows without any difficulty. His silver hair whipped around him, the light of the Fujin Yumi giving his face a softer cast, a peaceful glow.

Her eyes glanced upwards, staring at Anankos. She had to admit, the dragon looked positively horrifying: crimson eyes eerily similar to Corrin’s peeking out of its mouth, staring down at her. _Gods above. We’re going to fight that._

Takumi’s arm suddenly wrapped around her waist, and she felt warm as she squeezed his hand. “It’ll be fine, darling,” she said, turning to look at him.

And though there was sweat on his forehead, he smiled back. “I know,” he whispered.

 

* * *

 

Sakura fired arrows, her fingers aching as she pulled back the string of her shining bow. _Focus,_ Takumi’s voice whispered in her mind, and she inhaled deeply. Draw, sight, release. That was the steady rhythm she adopted now, the rhythm she’d practiced constantly.

At her side, Xander raised Siegfried, and a beam of dark energy shot at the clawed hand in front of them. A roar split the air as droplets of blood fell to the ground, and Sakura gasped as the dragon’s head turned down towards them, water swirling around its face. “Xander!” she shouted.

The light fell towards them, and she scrambled to get out of the way. Yet, she stumbled, tripping on an uneven section of stone, and she cried out, falling to her knees. _N-No!_

Strong arms suddenly closed around her waist, yanking her from the ground, away from the burst of energy that erupted onto the stone where she’d fallen. Her chest heaved as she stared up into Xander’s brown eyes, his brow furrowed in concern. “You’re not hurt, are you?” he asked breathlessly.

“I’m fine,” she whispered.

A weary smile quirked up his lips, and she smiled back as he set her down on the ground. Siegfried glowed once more, and she drew her bow, focusing her magic into the arrow. Xander rushed forward, bringing back his sword for a powerful blow, and she released, watching her arrow arc until it hit the dragon’s hand. Anankos screamed at the impact, and she cringed at the hideous sound. On the other side, she could see Ryoma and Elise fighting as well, bursts of electricity flying from both of their weapons.

With a shout, Xander buried Siegfried into dragon flesh, the sacred blade sinking in to the hilt. Anankos roared, and Sakura breathed in, summoning every shred of energy she had. The arrow in her fingers glowed golden, droplets of light falling to the ground as she drew back the string.

_Draw._

Xander pulled out his blade, coated with steaming blood, and he raised his sword once again, darkness gathering around it.

_Sight._

The wound in Anankos’s hand was deep, and she aimed her arrow. _Please, fly true,_ she prayed, her eyes closing for a second.

_Release._

Just as another burst of darkness erupted from Siegfried, her arrow flew into the gaping hole that Xander had created. Both arrow and darkness ripped into the wound, and Anankos roared, his hand falling away from the stone island.

Sakura’s eyes widened. _We… We did it!_

Suddenly, the stones in front of them glowed, and she gasped as she felt the rush of energy under their feet. “A dragon vein?” Xander said, his brow raised.

“Wh-What does it do?” she asked, stepping towards him.

Slowly, he raised his hand, his eyes falling closed. Sakura felt the surge of power as he accessed the ancient magic, activating the wellspring of energy.

Nothing changed.

Sakura blinked in confusion, then turned towards Anankos. _Did it… do something to him?_

Then, she froze, her eyes wide. On the ground in front of him, a faint sigil glowed, the shape barely recognizable. “The Nohrian crest,” she said, surprised. Why would this dragon vein create something like that? The light emitting from it was weak, as if it was…

“It’s incomplete,” Xander said, his eyes squinting. “But it must serve some use. If it had more power, perhaps…” His hand cradled her cheek, and she smiled up at him. “I’m afraid our battle is not over.”

“It’s okay,” she said, her hand wrapping around his. “I-I’m ready.”

His only response was to smile back and press a kiss to the crown of her head.

 

* * *

 

Elise gripped her tome tight as she gathered more electricity into her palm. It always made her feel more energetic when she used a Lightning tome. And with Azura’s song in the background, she felt even _more_ energetic. She grinned as she slung the burst of lightning at the hand gripping the stone, mirroring the crack of electricity from Raijinto.

Even though she was bursting with energy, it was still a lot of hard work. Anankos’s skin was thick, and Ryoma couldn’t get too close, because it was too dangerous. She always had to glance up, checking to see if another attack was coming. Plus, Anankos kept on summoning more invisible soldiers, which just wasn’t fair.

 _I’ve gotta do something,_ she thought, her fingers tingling as she pulled more magic out of her tome. _Ryoma’s gotta get closer._

She bit her lip, then stared up at Anankos. He was just so _huge._ What could she do? Ryoma kept on saying that she was useful, that she was strong in her own special way. But, well… Right now, that special way was pretty useless. She didn’t have Xander’s strength, or Camilla’s bravery, or Leo’s smarts, or Corrin’s Yato. She was just Elise.

Anankos’s head started glowing again, and she opened her mouth to yell at Ryoma to get out of the way. But he was just so close! If Anankos wasn’t so focused on him…

_That’s it!_

“Hey!” she shouted, and she threw her spell at Anankos’s head. It didn’t make it, fizzling out in midair, but it did the job: instead of looking at Ryoma, he turned his head towards her, his red eyes narrowing at her in annoyance. “Over here!” she yelled, running away from Ryoma. Her feet pounded on the stones as she dashed to the side, waving her arms.

Anankos roared as he let loose with his attack, and Elise grinned as Ryoma finally made his way to his hand, the Raijinto slashing at the tough skin. _Yes!_

Then, she froze as the air around her crackled. _Uh oh._ Quickly, she scrambled out of the way, nearly tripping on the cracked stone as she jumped out of the range of Anankos’s magic.

Mostly.

Her leg burned like a hundred hot coals had been dumped on it, and she screamed as she clutched it. Quickly, she glanced down, then cringed: her skin was all red and singed, like Corrin’s had been when she’d…

_“Elise!”_

She coughed as she looked up. Anankos roared again, and her eyes widened as lightning crackled all over his hand, forcing him to let go of the island. Ryoma dashed towards her, blood steaming off the Raijinto as he fell to his knees at her side. “Elise,” he whispered, his hands trembling as he grasped her shoulders.

“You… owe me one,” she said, coughing again as she grinned up at him.

His eyes were grim as he stared down at her burned leg, but he smiled. “You need a healer,” he said softly, his arms slipping under her back. “Let’s go.”

“W-Wait,” she said, blinking as the ground underneath her felt warm. _What the… A dragon vein? Here?_ Ryoma’s brow creased as she pressed her hand onto the glowing mark, inhaling deeply. Yet, she couldn’t focus. Her leg hurt just a bit too much…

His hand rested over hers. “Let me help,” he said softly, and she smiled as his eyes closed, summoning the power of the dragon vein.

The energy released, and the ground stopped glowing. But… nothing happened. _Is it broken?_ she thought. But no, the energy had disappeared. So what—

She turned, then gasped.

The ground in front of Anankos’s head glowed and sparkled, a bright symbol on the rock. “Whoa,” she said, her eyes wide. “Pretty…”

Ryoma lifted her off the ground, and she winced as that tweaked her burned leg. “I’ve got you,” he said softly, and she smiled as she rested her head on his shoulder. “Rest now.”

“Okay,” she whispered back. She turned towards the battlefield, watching as Corrin ran towards Anankos, the Fire Emblem burning bright. Leo was right behind her, trees shredding through the Vallite soldiers that would slow them down. _It’s really going to end today, isn’t it?_

And that thought made her very happy.

 

* * *

 

Laslow grinned as Odin struck down the mercenary cutting at his throat. “Cutting it a little close there, old friend?” he called as he danced around the spell a shadowy sorcerer shot at him. His blade sliced through the soldier, and it faded away with nothing more than a soft gasp. These invisible soldiers were so quiet compared to the Risen. He’d never be able to wipe their howling from his mind.

“I was gonna do that!” Odin complained.

“Well, you’ll just have to be a little faster next time,” Laslow teased, pivoting on one heel as another Vallite came towards him. _My, my. There’s really no end to them, is there?_

“Just like old times, isn’t it?” Odin said, grinning cheekily as he shot another burst of magic from his grimoire.

“We’ve come a long way,” Laslow agreed, wiping the sweat from his forehead. Before, when Anankos had taken them to Valla the first time, they’d nearly been overwhelmed by the soldiers sent after them. But now… Well, they had a few more tricks up their sleeve. The Fire Emblem, for one.

“Stop being lazy!” Selena shouted, her crimson hair flying as she hacked at the Vallites in front of them. “Honestly, we’ve got work to do!”

“Just reminiscing about the past, my dear!” Laslow said, grinning as Selena practically snarled at the epithet.

“Well, you can reminisce later!” she yelled back.

“Indeed, such fell recollections will have to wait!” Odin bellowed. “We must fulfill our ancient duty, given to us by our draconic adversary!”

“Shut up!” Selena snapped, though her eyes were worried, not annoyed. “Do you want anyone to hear us?”

“There’s no one around _to_ hear us,” Laslow pointed out, joining her as she blocked the strike of a sword. Quickly, he beheaded the shadow, giving her some breathing room. “Besides, it doesn’t really matter now.”

She sighed, then nodded. “Yeah.” Her face was gloomy as she stared up at the dragon looming over them. “It’s a shame, you know?”

“Yes, it is,” Laslow agreed, his heart heavy as he stared at their old friend, the man who had spirited them away from Ylisse and brought them here. When they’d first met, Anankos had been simply a man, albeit one who could transport them across space and time and perform miracles. He’d done so much for them, and now…

It wasn’t right. Killing a man who had restored their broken world, creating graves for his mother and father… Repaying that kindness with death was a sin, even if Anankos had asked for it. But this wasn’t the same kindly man who had spoken softly and apologized constantly to them. This was a dragon, an insane monster who would destroy everything in its path. He had to keep that in mind.

“Chin up, Selena!” Laslow said brightly. “Where’s that smile I love?”

She rolled her eyes, but a grin did appear on her lips. “At least this isn’t Grima. I’d hate to be on that thing’s back.”

Laslow gasped, pressing a hand to his heart. “Selena, mentioning our forbidden past? Has the world come to an end?”

“Ugh!” The smack to his shoulder he’d expected, and he laughed as her cheeks went red. “Whatever! Come on, we’ve got Vallites to kill!” And she ran off, bringing her sword behind her for a powerful slice.

True. This wasn’t Grima. Though Laslow had felt fear, true genuine fear as he’d stared up at Anankos’s true form, nothing could compare to the sheer panic of staring at the Fell Dragon. Anankos was enormous, but Grima… Grima was mind-boggling. _It’s a good thing Lord Xander hadn’t met with that,_ Laslow thought to himself as he dashed across the stones, Odin behind him. _He might have given up all together._ That had been the first time he’d seen Lord Xander honestly consider defeat. Laslow didn’t blame him. It wasn’t every day you faced a dragon as large as a castle.

Yet now they fought, Princess Sakura at his liege’s side as they joined the fray, destroying the Vallite soldiers that kept on swarming towards them. No one challenged Anankos; they all understood that role was meant for one person.

 _I hope you’ll be satisfied with this,_ he thought, staring up at the Silent Dragon for a moment. _We watched over her, as you asked. It’s truly a pity, ending it like this. But that is what you asked for, isn’t it?_

Honoring Anankos’s final request… That was something they could do.

 

* * *

 

_“Within my ancient heart dwells madness and pride—”_

Azura’s song rang in Corrin’s ears as she ran, bringing the Omega Yato back for a fierce strike. Anankos loomed in front of her, his head larger than her whole body, but she wasn’t afraid. The ground beneath her feet glowed with a powerful light, the Hoshidan and Nohrian crest shining bright against the dark. Energy hummed inside her, her blood feeling like liquid fire as she shouted, cutting into Anankos’s harsh skin.

_“Can no one hear my cry?”_

Corrin had heard Azura’s song many times, when they had traveled together alone. She had sung each of the verses for her, and the words had always stuck with her. Now that she knew the song’s author, those words held even more meaning.

The song wasn’t just a spell, meant to weaken him for this final battle. It was a story, telling a tale of two characters. A father and daughter.

_“You are the ocean’s grey waves, destined to seek life beyond the shore, just out of reach…”_

_Did you always know that I would have to make my choice?_ Corrin wondered, massive drops of blood falling to the ground as Anankos roared, his eyes narrowing in pain. _Did you always know that this would be how it would end?_

Perhaps he had. After all, her father had told her, in the world between life and death, that this song and the Omega Yato were the weapons that he would fall by. Still, realizing that Azura’s song, one that held so much power, was about _her_ was a startling revelation.

_“Yet the waters ever change, flowing like time…”_

She gritted her teeth as the Yato cut once more into Anankos’s flesh, cringing as the dragon screamed in agony. The wounds littering his body were gruesome things: dozens of scratches and scores, each cauterized by the Fire Emblem’s power. Water swirled around Anankos’s head, white light gathering around his eyes as he reared back, ready to deliver another fatal strike.

_“Allvar!”_

Burning light fell to the stones, but Corrin fell safely backwards, landing on the ground in a crouch. She glanced behind her, then smiled as Leo gazed back at her, brown eyes still red and puffy from his tears, but sharp and clear and determined. Tentatively, he smiled back, light still cupped in his palm. It reminded her of practicing with Xander so long ago, when she’d still been trapped in the Northern Fortress. Leo had always watched over their sparring matches after she’d suffered a concussion. Whenever she’d been in real danger, he’d yanked her out of the way, changing her gravity so that she fell towards him.

Having him watching her back meant more to her than he probably knew.

 _Thank you,_ she mouthed before running back to Anankos. The rock was hot beneath her feet, nearly scalding her skin, but she pressed forward, delivering another powerful blow to Anankos’s face. This strike punctured his eye, and she cringed as she dodged the blood splattering on the ground. The Silent Dragon roared in pain, and her heart ached as she pulled back, staring up at him. _I’m sorry…_

Father would not come back. She knew that, of course. But still, fighting him, even if he was insane, even if he would kill her and everyone she loved without a second thought, _hurt._

She swallowed thickly, then lunged forward again, bringing her blade in for the final strike. His eye was vulnerable, and his massive body drooped, wings barely flapping to keep him airborne. Tree branches burst from the stone, and Anankos roared as they ripped into vulnerable flesh. Corrin let out a shout, then thrust the Yato in front of her, ramming it straight into Anankos’s eye.

For a moment, everything was calm.

Then a _scream,_ agonized and eerily human, rang in her ears, and she stumbled back, the Yato clenched in shaking fingers as Anankos writhed in the air, white light coursing across his skin. Suddenly, Leo’s hands caught her by the shoulders, steadying her, and she watched in horror as the Silent Dragon’s body began to crumble away. Ash fell to the ground, mixing with blood, as skin withered and shrunk, shrivelling until…

Nothing. Nothing but silence and blood remained.

Her legs quivered as she stared at the ground. _It’s... It’s over. It’s done._

Slowly, Leo’s bare hand reached up, and she swallowed thickly as he cradled her cheek. “Are you hurt?” he whispered, his voice raw.

She knew that he was asking about physical injury. In that category, she was perfectly fine, singed clothes and armor notwithstanding. But…

Her eyes burned as she trembled. _I killed him. I killed my own father._ It was the right choice, she knew — he’d _asked_ for her to kill him — but still, to have his blood on her hands… The beginnings of tears formed in her eyes, and she heard Leo’s breath hitch. Her lips parted, but how could she explain to him what she’d done?

_“Curse… you…”_

Instantly, she was tucked against Leo’s chest, and she saw the magic flare to life in his palm. Quickly, she turned her head, then stared in horror.

Father, dressed in a shadowy robe, the hood drawn over his face, hovered in the air in front of her. Violet flames engulfed him, and red eyes burned beneath his hood, boring into her like hot knives. “N-No,” she whispered, and her tears spilled over. “Father, please…” Leo’s arms stiffened around her, his breath leaving him in a shaky exhale.

 _“You… won’t stop me,”_ he rasped, his voice a rasping growl, booming across the silent battlefield.

 _I can’t… I can’t…_ It was too much, it was all too much. How could she do this? How could she end him when he looked like this? Her heart hammered in her chest, and her grip around the Yato faltered. _I can’t—_

“Corrin.” Leo’s voice was soft, gentle. “I’m here.”

And those words, those simple words whispered so tenderly, made her grasp the Yato again. “Good luck,” he murmured, his lips brushing her cheek before releasing her, letting her run forward, feet pounding against the stone.

Azura’s song started up again, the words ringing in her ears as she dodged Anankos’s crackle of magic, her eyes narrowed in determination. _“The path is yours to climb…”_

This was the road she’d taken. She could not abandon it now.

Quickly, she pivoted on her feet, spinning out of the way of another burst of white light. More energy filled her, the Omega Yato light in her hand as she lept towards Anankos, slicing at him with the sword. He shouted in pain, her blade’s edge tearing through cloth, blood spilling onto the Yato. She grimaced, but quickly pulled back for another strike. Though she was certain that the Yato would have torn a normal human in half, Anankos was still whole, and she could almost _feel_ the hatred radiating from him.

Suddenly, he released another bolt of magic, and she gasped in pain as it struck her straight on, bringing her to her knees. Hot waves of agony pulsed through her, incomparable to the strike that had killed her, but still excruciating all the same. She could hear Leo’s scream behind her, an anguished cry that broke her heart, and she struggled to rise from the ground. _I… I have to finish this…_

“Mother!

Relief spread across her chest, a green aura suffusing and she turned to see Forrest there, holding his festal high in the air. Behind him, Kana fought in dragon form, tossing back the Vallites who were fighting to get to the raised platform she stood on.

She smiled her gratitude, then rose from the stones and pressed on. Anankos growled in anger, more magic pooling in his palms, but another tree burst from the earth, catching his legs, and he howled again in pain. The sound tore at her heart, but she kept going, slicing again and again at his body.

Her feet skidded across the stones as she pulled back, sucking in a deep breath. _This ends now,_ she thought, watching as Anankos writhed in pain, his hands clutching at his head. Clearly, her father was suffering.

_“A burdened heart sinks into the ground…”_

The Omega Yato was brought back for another blow.

_“A veil falls away without a sound.”_

She inhaled a preparatory breath.

_“Not day nor night, wrong nor right—”_

Pushing against the ground, she leapt towards Anankos.

_“For truth and peace you fight!”_

Suddenly, she felt a tugging on her chest, and she launched towards Anankos faster than she thought possible. _Leo!_ she realized, recognizing the tug of redirected gravity. Quickly, she managed to prepare herself, letting out a roar as she lashed out with the Yato.

Anankos shuddered as she buried the sacred blade in his chest.

She fell to the ground in a crouch, gasping for breath as she struggled to reorient herself. The earth was _down_ again, and she looked up at Anankos, her heart pounding in her chest.

The Silent Dragon let out a blood curdling scream, pulling the Yato from his chest in a fierce motion. The sword clattered to the stones next to Corrin, and Anankos clutched his head, his body jerking around unnaturally as the violet flames around him burned so brightly that she couldn’t see.

Then, the light faded, and all fell still.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did someone order an extremely long chapter filled with awfully written battle scenes? No?
> 
> I'll just leave this here, then. 
> 
> Seriously, I hate writing battle scenes. Like, with the fiery passion of a thousand blazing suns. I used to think they were fun, but nowadays I've found myself incapable of writing anything without tons of dialogue, so to write something that's mainly action? Bleugh. I hope you enjoyed it, at least! :D (Also, awesome empowered royal sisters for the win!)


	8. In the Stars

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “A light has broken through the clouds... It's a very welcome sight. It's been some time since the last true dawn I saw in this world.”
> 
> — Shigure

_What…?_

The pain in his body, the rage in his heart… A soothing voice and a bright light washed it all away.

Slowly, Anankos opened his eyes, then stared in wonder.

In front of him stood a woman, her armor blackened and charred, her silver hair wild and barely restrained by a black headband. Her cheeks were soft, her nose small, her eyes wide. A smile turned up his lips as he saw her pointed ears, as well as her crimson irises. Though it had been twenty years since he’d seen her face, he knew who this was.

_She came for me._

“Father?” she breathed, her voice soft, slightly ragged from exertion. The man at her side, dressed in Nohrian armor, placed his hands on her shoulders, his face pale. Two children lingered near her, one clutching a dragonstone, the other a healing staff. He vaguely recalled seeing them, but…

“Thank you,” he murmured. “For waking me. I was dreaming for such a long time… about a kingdom where mankind and dragons lived in harmony.” It had been such a lovely dream, he remembered: a dream where his friends had never left him, never succumbed to the bitterness of mortality. A dream where a woman with silver hair and golden eyes had found him, her small hand grasping his own.

His throat grew thick as the wonderful memories faded away. “But… my mind turned that dream into a nightmare.” A nightmare where Mikoto had perished, a nightmare where his daughter had fallen by his own hand.

A nightmare that was reality.

More humans approached, their faces wan and pale, some clinging to the others. Guilt twisted his stomach as he stared at them, clearly afraid of him. Slowly, his eyes rested on a familiar sight: long flowing blue hair and amber irises. The woman — Azura, he remembered — clutched the spear she carried, though she needn’t have worried.

The pendant around her neck glimmered with a beautiful light, and he couldn’t help but smile. “Your song,” he whispered, and Azura froze. “That voice still echoes in my mind.” Such a lovely voice, he remembered. A sweet voice, so similar to the woman he’d loved so dearly. “It woke me… saved me…”

She stared at him for a long moment, then bowed her head in silence.

Three more familiar faces peeked out from the crowd, and Anankos’s heart warmed as he saw them approach. “And you three,” he murmured, clasping his hands. “You kept your promise.”

Severa stared down at her boots as her face flushed, but both Owain and Inigo smiled back. “A promise is something that should never be broken,” Inigo said softly, resting his hand on the pommel of his sword. “We all believe that, I think.”

Anankos smiled. “I always believed that you would keep it. Thank you.”

And then, a hesitant voice: “Father?”

How could he have forgotten?

He took a step towards his daughter. The man at her side drew close, his lips pressing together in a hard line, but Anankos did not blame him. He didn’t know his name, but he remembered him weeping over her body, and he could see the resemblance he had towards his daughter’s sons. It would make sense for this man to hate him.

Yet, Corrin whispered something, and the man pulled back, his eyes wary yet exhausted. “Corrin,” Anankos murmured, the name delightful on his tongue as she took a hesitant step forward. Slowly, he stretched out his arms.

The Fire Emblem was planted into the earth, and he grinned as she flung herself at him, her arms wrapping around his frame. His eyes drifted closed as he held her, feeling her warmth, her strength. “F-Father,” she choked out, and hastily she pulled away to wipe her tears. “I-I’m sorry, I didn’t want to—”

“Shh,” he murmured, brushing his thumb underneath her eyes, wiping away the dampness there. “Don’t apologize. You did what must be done. And I could not be happier.”

She sniffled, but nodded, and though she was past the age of adulthood, in this moment her resemblance to a little child was powerful. “So… What happens now?” she asked, her voice little more than a hoarse whisper.

Anankos’s hands settled onto her shoulder. “I will send you to the world above,” he said softly. “The kingdom of Valla will fade away, never to be visited again. The curse that binds all of you will be lifted. And the world will return to the way it was. The way it was meant to be.”

_A world where I no longer exist._

“A-And what about you?” she whispered, tears building in her eyes once more.

A part of him wished to tell her that he would stay. But even now, he could feel his strength crumbling. The world above had no need for him, and to exist longer… The other dragons had been right to leave the mortal world. He’d loved humanity so much, but his love had blinded him to his nature. That was a mistake that had to be corrected.

“I?” he murmured, smiling down at her. “I will finally rest… among the brightly shining stars.”

A soft sob escaped her as her shoulders curled in, her head bowing. Gently, he stroked her cheeks, brushing away her tears. “Do not weep for me, Corrin,” he said. “I have lost the resentment that kept me chained. I’ve never felt such joy…” It was a bittersweet happiness, but the release from his madness, from the hatred and anger that had clawed at his heart and ripped apart his soul, was the greatest gift that his daughter ever could have given him.

“But I…” She trembled, then nodded. “I… I understand.”

“Father?”

Anankos smiled as he recognized that voice, and he rested a hand on Corrin’s shoulder as he turned. There, in her blue dress, her hair neatly braided and tucked with a white handkerchief, stood Lilith, the daughter he’d created so long ago out of grief of losing Corrin. A soft smile was on her face as she strode towards Anankos, her hand extended.

“Lilith,” he murmured, staring down at his child. “I’m sorry. You’ve been waiting for me, haven’t you? For a long, long time…”

“Yes,” she said warmly. “Let me be your guide on your way. We'll find the star that shines brightest and go there… together.”

The magic that bound Lilith together would fade, along with Anankos. Both of them would pass from life, as humans understood it, to a new world. Another step in the journey, one that all beings must take, no matter how ancient or powerful.

“W-Wait,” Corrin gasped desperately, reaching for the both of them. “Both of you… Both of you are leaving?”

“Our time is over,” Anankos said, his hand cradling her cheek. “The age of dragons is long past, Corrin. The age of mankind is dawning. And I believe that this dawn will never end.” He bent down, then kissed the top of her hair. “Live your life, Corrin. Cast Azura’s pendant into the waters. There is no more need for it.” Though Corrin possessed his heritage, Mikoto’s blood would save her from his long life and madness. Soon enough, Anankos would be able to thank her for that gift in person.

Corrin blinked back tears.

Then, she threw her arms around him, her grasp tight and strong. A soft chuckle escaped him as he hugged her back, tucking her against him. “My sweet daughter,” he murmured, his heart light and warm as he stroked her silver curls. “You’ve been so very brave. And you’ve endured more than any person should. It’s all over now. Remember: my love for you is without end.”

“A-And I’ll always love you,” she choked out, her fingers curling in his robes, holding onto him for just a little longer.

_It’s time._

Gently, he pulled away from her, his hand slipping into Lilith’s. “Children of men,” he said softly, gazing at the humans that had followed Corrin into Valla. “Be careful to not lose your way.” Corrin gasped as the ground underneath them started to glow, arcane lines writing themselves into the stones at her feet. “Farewell,” he murmured, offering her one final smile.

With a bright flash of light, the humans departed, leaving him and Lilith alone.

“Are you ready?” Lilith asked him, smiling at him softly.

“Yes,” he said, squeezing her hand. “Thank you for watching over her.”

“It was my honor, Father,” she replied softly, bowing her head. “I just… I just wish that she didn’t have to lose us.”

“She has her family,” Anankos murmured. “And the human heart is a powerful thing. Hers will heal, with time.” Slowly, he exhaled, then smiled at her. “I love you, Lilith.”

Tears filled his daughter’s eyes as she stared up at him. “I-I love you too, Father,” she whispered, smiling back.

Water swirled around Anankos, and he breathed out, letting his body relax. His time with humanity, though greatly cherished, was over. And though he would be eternally bound to Corrin with love, her road would take her down a different path than his. A path filled with peace and happiness and rest.

_Thank you… Corrin._

 

* * *

 

Corrin’s vision faded, and for a moment, she stood on nothing but air.

Dirt padded her feet as she opened her eyes, staring at their surroundings. They were back at the Bottomless Canyon. Yet there were no stormclouds, no lightning flashes above.

Instead, she saw the sun, shining down over the mountains, filling the entire canyon plain with light.

“Is… Is it over?” Kana whispered, staring up at her with his large red eyes.

For a moment, Corrin couldn’t respond. Was it over? It felt like a lifetime had passed since she’d been up onto the surface world, and an eternity since she’d left the Northern Fortress. Yet…

She glanced at the sword planted in the ground by her side, still burning bright. “Yes, Kana,” she said, managing to smile for him. “It’s over.”

Silence rang in the canyon.

Then, Elise cheered. “Aw yeah! We did it!” Ryoma laughed as she hugged him, jumping up and down. “We did it, we did it, we did it!”

And, as if some unspoken cue had been given, everyone started laughing, crying, hugging one another, chattering excitedly. She could hear Odin loudly bragging about his exploits, Selena jabbing him in the ribs with a laugh. Hinoka let out a long sigh, leaning on her naginata. Azura smiled brightly, and Camilla pulled Takumi into her arms for a kiss or three.

Corrin wanted to join in the celebration. And a part of her _did_ feel glad: the weight that she’d carried with her for so long, the fear, the weariness… It was gone, lifted from her shoulders. Yet, at the same time, it was replaced by another burden: her father was gone now, forever. Just like with her mother, she’d only known him for a short time before he’d left. Pain stung her throat and eyes, and her shoulders caved in. _Be strong. Be brave. Keep it together for everyone else…_

A hand settled on her shoulder, and she swallowed thickly as she stared up into Leo’s soft, warm eyes. Wordlessly, he kissed her forehead, then enfolded her in his embrace, cradling her to him. And even though they were both in hard armor, she pressed her face to his chest and let out a few more tears. His bare hand stroked her hair, his other running up and down her back. They didn’t need to speak; his presence was enough. And for a long moment, she simply let herself rest against Leo, releasing her emotions one bit at a time.

A soft sniffle brought her back to the rest of the world, and she turned to see tears dripping down Kana’s chin. “Why, Kana,” Forrest exclaimed, dabbing at his brother’s cheeks with his torn sleeve. “What’s the matter? Are you hurt?”

“I-I’m okay,” Kana said, his breath hitching. “I’m just crying a little.”

“What’s wrong, Kana bean?” Corrin asked, bending down so she could cup his cheeks.

“It’s just…” He sniffled again, rubbing a fist at his eyes. “Ever since those people vanished... It's really sad, and I don't know why.”

“Oh.” She thought on that for a long moment, but couldn’t think of an explanation.

“It's because you know that you'll never see them again,” Leo murmured softly. His bare hand found Kana’s, squeezing it. “Your paths will never cross again, except in your memories.”

“You mean… they're gone forever?” Kana asked softly.

“Yes,” Corrin whispered, and her eyes grew wet once more. “That's why it's so important that you remember them. As long as you keep them alive in your memories… they’re not really gone. They’re in here.” Her fingertips brushed against Kana’s chest, over his heart.

A soft smile spread on his face as he looked up at her. “That’s what you’re doing, right, Mama?”

She blinked at his words, then smiled. “Yeah. I guess I am.” Slowly, she gathered him into her arms. Then, she gasped as Forrest suddenly hugged her, his grip tight. Leo chuckled, a soft sound that caused warmth to bleed through her, then pulled them all into his embrace. Corrin let her eyes drift closed, smiling as they didn’t move, simply relishing the feeling of being together, safe and sound.

True, her father was gone. But she still had her family: her Leo, her Forrest, her Kana.

That was all she needed.

 

* * *

 

After Corrin crossed the threshold, Leo closed the door to their room, then breathed out a slow sigh.

It had been agreed by everyone that returning to the Astral Plane was the best course of action: the day’s events had left everyone exhausted, and the closest military installation or village on either side was over fifteen miles away.

Sunlight filtered through the curtains hanging in the window, and he stared at the sun still high in the sky. _It’s not even evening yet._ Only five hours had passed since he’d roused Corrin from bed, yet it felt like five years. So much had happened, and his limbs ached with exhaustion.

Slowly, his fingers reached up to undo the clasps and buckles holding his armor together. Before he could progress too far, however, small fingers slid between the crevices of his armor, helping him get the heavy pieces off. Metal thudded to the floor around them, heavy _thumps_ muffled by the soft carpet. Soon enough, Leo was free of the armor, and he rolled his shoulders, sighing in relief. Gods, he almost felt weightless.

Corrin smiled her gratitude as he helped free her from her own suit, his fingers slower and clumsier than hers, but still able to manage the straps and buckles. A lump rose in his throat as he saw the charred holes in the cloth of her shirt and leggings, revealing pale patches of skin. Her eyes caught his, and crimson bloomed on her cheeks as she stared down at her ruined clothes. His hand slipped to her cheek, his fingertips feeling the heat pooling on her skin, and he closed his eyes, savoring the sensation. Only a few hours ago, he’d thought he’d never feel her warmth again, much less see her blush. To simply _touch_ her, to feel her soft warm skin, was a miracle.

Wordlessly, she nestled herself against him, her head tucked against his chest, and he instantly wrapped his arms around her. Peace suffused him as her hand ran up and down his back, her body heat seeping into his frame. His fingers found her hair, running through her curls, and his eyes quickly grew wet as they brushed her neck. Her pulse, strong and rapid, pushed against his fingertips.

 _She’s alive._ His grip around her tightened at the thought. _She’s alive._ Softly, his lips pressed to her hair in a fervent kiss. _She’s alive._

“Leo?” she asked, her voice raspy yet soft. The sound of it was enough to make his heart race. “Are you going to be okay?”

Would he?

So much had happened. His family had fallen apart, then had been put back together in only a handful of moments. And his father… He squeezed his eyes shut. While Father had been cold, hard, even cruel in recent years, he’d been a different man when Leo was a child. Azura and Corrin’s words both explained why: something had possessed him thirteen years ago, forcing him to murder Sumeragi and kidnap Corrin, bringing her to Nohr.

That revelation hurt, weighing down his heart. But he would grieve later. Corrin was with him now, in his arms, and he focused on her: on the sound of her breathing, on the feeling of her strong arms around him, on the scent of the rose still in her hair.

Somehow, despite the fact that she’d been fatally wounded, burned from head to toe, that rose hadn’t fallen out or burned away. He smiled as he pulled away, stroking the petals. “Yes,” he murmured, meeting her crimson eyes. “I’ll be fine.” Yet, the memory of her tears as Anankos had transported them away filled his mind. He wasn’t the only one to have lost a father today. He stared at her intently. “Will you be all right?”

She was silent for a long moment, her eyes pensive. Then, her fingers wrapped around his palm, bringing it to her lips, and his smile widened at the tender gesture. “It’ll work out,” she murmured. “After all, we made it home.”

_Home._

And his words, spoken only that morning, rang in his ears: _“Promise me that you’ll be careful. That you’ll stay safe. That when this ends, we’ll all come home together.”_

“Thank you,” he whispered in her ear, pressing a kiss to her cheek.

“For what?” she asked, blinking a few times in confusion.

“For keeping your promise,” he murmured.

A soft chuckle escaped her, and her lips curled up in a sweet smile. “Well, I promised, didn’t I?” she said, her hands resting on his chest. “And do I break my promises?”

Once more, his throat grew thick, and his hand cupped her cheeks. “Never,” he whispered. Slowly, he leaned down, his eyes drifting closed as he planted a kiss on her lips. A pulse of warmth spread through him as she leaned towards him and kissed him back, fingers stroking his hair, her lips parting. One of his hands slid from her face to the small of her back, pressing her closer until their chests touched and he could feel her heartbeat against his.

Suddenly, she pulled away from him, and he froze. “What’s wrong?” he asked, panic surging through him as she pressed a hand to her chest, her eyes wide, her cheeks flushed. Had he moved too fast? Were they somehow in danger?

“Sorry,” she whispered, smiling up at him, and the fear retreated. “I’m fine, it’s just…” She swallowed thickly. “My heart… it’s pounding.” A soft chuckle passed her lips. “It’s a nice feeling.”

His hand lifted up, hovering over her heart. “May I?” he asked, looking into her crimson eyes. She nodded, a soft smile on her lips as he pressed his hand to her chest, her heart beating against his palm. A soft sigh escaped him as he closed his eyes, feeling her pulse drum against his fingers.

“I’m sorry,” she murmured, her hand resting over his. “I… I didn’t mean to make you worry so much.” She ducked her head, her silver curls tumbling down her shoulders.

Gently, he tipped her chin up, staring into her eyes. “You came back,” he whispered. “That’s all that matters.” Slowly, he slipped his hand to the back of her head, cradling it. “I love you, Corrin,” he murmured, his voice thick with emotion.

Warm fingers reached up towards his face, and he pressed his cheek to her hand, smiling at the warm touch. Her hands were soft despite wielding a sword for so long, and the words she uttered were even softer: “I love you too.”

And just like that, all of his self restraint broke, and he clutched her tightly, peppering kisses to her lips, her cheeks, her neck. A delighted giggle burst from her, and he grinned as she kissed him back, her fingers tangling in his hair. Soon, both of them were panting, gasping for breath, and his heart pounded as he stared at her red cheeks, a dazed smile curling up her mouth. Gods, she looked so beautiful in this moment: eyes twinkling, full lips parted in a dazzling grin. And it struck him again that she was _alive._ She was in his arms, secure and safe.

Again and again their lips crashed against each other, only parting to gasp in another breath before colliding desperately again. It was such a strange thing: her kisses both soothed and excited him, eased the fear and pain in his heart yet set his pulse racing, relief and desire and adoration bleeding through him faster than he thought possible.

Corrin finally pressed her forehead to his, her chest heaving with every breath, but to have his lips so far away from her skin was a crime, and she let out a soft gasp as he kissed her cheek, then the edge of her jaw. Slowly, tenderly, he trailed his mouth down her neck, and he grinned as he felt her rapid pulse against his lips. Shaky sighs escaped her as he traveled lower and lower, pressing fervent kisses to her warm, whole skin. “L-Leo,” she finally breathed, her fingers curling in his hair.

Slowly, he pulled away, staring into her crimson eyes. They were both breathless and flushed, an eager smile on her lips. Her hands fell to his, and she took a step backwards, tugging him towards the bed. And Leo was all too willing to follow.

 _Gods,_ he thought, his fingers reaching for the hem of his shirt. _I really have no patience._ The cloth peeled away from his skin, and he leaned down into Corrin’s waiting embrace, pressing a searing kiss to her lips. _A prince of Nohr should have patience. And restraint. That too. I should work on those._

_Some other time._

 

* * *

 

Everything burned, everything ached and bled and felt raw, and though she tried to escape, there was only pain, pain, _pain, light, burning, no no NO! I promised him I’d come home—_

“Corrin!”

Her eyes flew open, and she wheezed in a rattling breath, her nightgown drenched in sweat. Her heart pounded in her chest, all her muscles clenched in memory of the agony of Anankos’s attack, of fading away in Leo’s arms, of _dying_ —

“Corrin…”

Her fingers were gently pried away from the sheets, and her eyes focused on the face swimming above her. Who—

_Leo._

His brown eyes crinkled in concern as he stared down at her, his hands cupping her cheeks. Slowly, gently, he pulled her into his arms, her face in the crook of his shoulder as she half laid on top of him, half sat in his lap. Desperately, her fingers tightened in his shirt, clinging to him with a death grip. “It’s all right,” he murmured, his fingers soothing as he stroked her hair. “You’re safe now. It’s all right…”

Her breaths only came in short, frantic gasps, her body aching from the strain of being so tense. Leo’s hand was warm and firm against her back as he rubbed calming circles between her shoulderblades. “Breathe in,” he said softly.

Despite the panic inside her, she managed to inhale.

After what felt like eternity, Leo whispered, “Breathe out,” and the air in her lungs rushed out in a flood. His voice, steady and calm, helped her to relax as he coached her on her breathing, his hand running up and down her spine. Gradually, she was able to hold and release her breath on her own, and her grip on his shirt loosened, finally managing to relax.

“Th-Thank you,” she whispered, curling up against him.

Soft lips pressed to her forehead. “You’re very welcome,” he whispered back, his arms enfolding her in a soft embrace. “Do you need anything?”

She shook her head, then turned it to the side, staring at their room. The bedroom around them was dark now, moonlight pooling on the sheets and blankets. A lamp was lit on the nightstand, and she could see a few novels on the edge of the bed, one open with a bookmark between the pages. Her heart sank as she looked up at Leo. “You too?” she whispered.

His eyes were soft, but she could see the heaviness there, the sadness.

Slowly, she sat up, placing her hands on his shoulders. “You should have woken me,” she said, one hand sliding up his neck to cup his cheek. Guilt twisted in her stomach as she stared at his eyes, scarred red from tears. They both knew she was a heavy sleeper, and while she couldn’t remember the last time she’d woken from a nightmare without Leo to soothe her, she had only managed to be awake for a handful of his.

“No need,” he said softly, and she froze as his hand gently pressed against her heart, a soft smile turning up his lips. “This is enough.”

Her fingers wrapped around his hand, and her throat was thick as she realized what he’d dreamed about. “I’m sorry,” she whispered, more tears building in her eyes. “I-I’m so sorry, I didn’t—”

“Hush,” he murmured, his free hand slipping to her cheek, cradling it as his thumb brushed under her eye. “There’s nothing to be sorry for.” Gently, he pressed another kiss to her forehead. “Get some sleep. I’ll be fine.”

“You need to sleep too,” she whispered, her voice raw as she stared at him. “And you still should have woken me.”

“It wasn’t that bad, honestly,” he replied softly, still running his thumb underneath her eye. The gesture was as soothing as it was tender, and she felt her eyes drift closed. “You’re safe now. That’s all I need to—”

_Bang!_

A yelp burst from her, and Leo’s arm wrapped around her, pressing her to his chest. Faster than she could have dreamed possible, Brynhildr was open and glowing in his hand, its glow powerful in the dim light.

After a moment, Corrin finally realized what the noise was: someone had knocked on their door. “I-It’s okay,” she whispered, and Leo relaxed, letting her slip from his grip and out of the bed. Slowly, she walked towards the door, her footsteps careful as her hand rested on the doorknob. She eased the door open, then gasped.

Kana stood on the other side, his white sleeping clothes rumpled, tears on his cheeks. “M-Mama?” he whispered.

“Oh, come here, Kana-bean,” she whispered quickly, crouching down and scooping him into her arms. He sniffled against her neck as she settled him on her hip. “It’s okay,” she murmured, kissing his hair as he trembled in her arms. “It’s okay. I’m here. Was it a bad dream?”

“Y-Yeah,” he whimpered, his fingers clutching at her nightgown. “Y-You were gone again, and you wouldn’t w-wake up, no matter how much Papa shook you…”

“I’m here now,” she said, squeezing her little boy in her arms. “And I’m awake now. I’m not going to leave you again, Kana. I promise.”

“Okay,” he whispered, though he still trembled. “Mama… Can I stay with you tonight?”

Corrin pondered for a second, then glanced at Leo. Slowly, he nodded, and she smiled down at Kana. “All right.” So, walking back to bed, she laid Kana down in the sheets next to Leo, climbing in next to them. Leo’s hand rested on Kana’s shoulder as he curled up at her side, small fists buried in her nightgown still.

“Papa?” Kana finally asked.

“Yes?” Leo asked, pulling his novel back into his lap.

“Can… Can you read us a story?”

Leo’s lips parted, and Corrin could see the concern in his eyes. So, slowly, her hand found his, squeezing it gently. “Just until we fall asleep,” she said softly.

“All right,” he murmured. “What story would you like, Kana?”

Suddenly, another soft knock sounded on the open door, and Corrin turned, then smiled. Forrest stood in the doorway, his nightgown rumpled from sleep, his silver curls woven into a braid. Yet, her smile faded as she saw the tears in his eyes. “M-Mother?” he whispered.

Slowly, she rose from the bed. “Come join us,” she said, smiling warmly. “There’s plenty of room.”

A tentative smile turned up his lips as he crossed to the large bed, slipping under the covers to nestle next to his little brother. Her hand reached over Kana, pressed firmly to her side, and rubbed Forrest’s shoulder. “Thank you,” he whispered, his own hand reaching up to grasp hers.

Leo stared down at all of them for a long moment, his eyes soft, then reached for a book from the small stack on the nightstand. “How does the Tale of Brynhildr and Siegfried sound?” he asked, his voice quiet. Kana and Forrest both voiced their approval, and Corrin smiled as Leo cracked open the storybook, then began. “Once upon a time, in a mystical land of ice and fire, there dwelt Siegfried, the prince of Nibelung. Blessed with the strength of ten men, he vanquished all who stood in his path with his sword, given to him by the Dusk Dragon of old…”

Corrin had heard the story many times before, and Leo’s voice was calm and soothing, the perfect thing to ease her still-racing heart. Soon, her eyelids were drooping, and Kana’s grip relaxed on her shirt as he fell asleep. Forrest was next, his head pressed to Leo’s side, muffling his soft snores. Gradually, Leo’s voice grew quieter and quieter, and Corrin let her eyes drift closed.

A soft exhale blew out the candle, the book closed with a quiet _snap,_ and soft lips pressed to her forehead, a murmured, “I love you,” making her lips quirk up into a smile.

She was safe. She was home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Man, I am so happy to be writing fluff. Well, mostly fluff. Anankos's farewell was sad to write, as well as Corrin's reaction to it. Fortunately Leo and the kids came in to save the day. :D
> 
> We're almost done! Let me know what you think in the comments!


	9. Abundant Solace

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Sing with me one last time for light’s sacrifice  
> Endless dawn came, but not without a price  
> Lost in the waves, there glimmers a pale blue stone  
> I think of you, all alone.
> 
> You are the ocean’s grey waves  
> Destined to seek life beyond the shore, just out of reach  
> Yet, the waters ever change, flowing like time  
> The path is yours to climb.”
> 
> — Lost in Thoughts All Alone

**One Year Later**

 

Though they had rehearsed many times, nothing could truly prepare Leo for this moment.

He gazed at a throne room filled with both Hoshidan and Nohrian royalty. Yet there was no animosity between the two parties. Instead of being dressed in a black Nohrian suit, he wore white and blue and gold: colors of the kingdom that he now belonged to. It was thanks to Forrest that he was wearing something so fine and so comfortable. 

And beside him, her robes matching his, the Fire Emblem at her side, knelt Corrin.

“With the authority I hold,” Azura said, her voice ringing clear. “I crown you, Corrin, Queen of Valla. Now begin the days of your reign.” Slowly, she placed the circlet on her head, nestling it carefully in her soft curls. A small smile curled up the songstress’s lips. “May they be blessed,” she whispered softly.

Leo smiled as Corrin inhaled a deep breath, resting a hand on the hilt of the Yato, then rose from her knees, slowly turning around to face the crowd.

She was met with thunderous applause, and Leo chuckled as Elise cheered loudly, her Hoshidan robes whipping around her legs as she jumped up and down, Ryoma’s face beet red at her side. Camilla blew a kiss towards Corrin, and Xander gave her a small wink, Sakura grinning as she politely clapped at his side. Takumi met his eyes, then gave him the classic thumbs up. For Leo’s part, he clasped her free hand in his, his fingers brushing against the rings on her finger. She smiled at him, a beautiful grin that set his heart racing.

Eventually, Corrin lifted her hand, and the applause died down. “Thank you,” she said softly. “But this day doesn’t just belong to me. It belongs to everyone in this kingdom.” Her voice was steady and firm as she continued. “The rebuilding of Valla was a dream that I envisioned at the end of the war between Nohr and Hoshido. Thanks to King Xander and King Ryoma and their generous contributions of land, that dream is now a reality. Valla will no longer shut itself away from the rest of the world: it will open itself to anyone that wishes to live here and find peace. Together, we will all build a kingdom of harmony.”

Another polite smattering of applause followed the end of her speech. Yet, Corrin held up her hand again. “A man once told me,” she said, and he froze as her voice grew thick, “that royalty had treated him as a plaything. That kings and queens thought of the people under their rule as nothing more than tools to be used and thrown away. His words have haunted me as I have contemplated this day. So, I wish to promise something to everyone in this room, and to the entire kingdom of Valla.” She inhaled deeply. “I pledge to always serve my people. To always believe in them, to fight for them, and if necessary, to die for them. For every person is someone to be cherished. I swear to you that I will always work for the betterment of this nation. And I will always fight for truth and peace.” 

The room was silent for a long moment, and Corrin’s cheeks grew red, her eyes nervously ducking down towards the floor. 

Then, someone cheered in the back, and the room burst into applause once more, the entire room thundering. Leo grinned as Corrin let out a visible sigh of relief, then glanced at him with a tentative smile. “You did wonderfully,” he whispered, and her smile widened into a true grin. Slowly he released her hand, and with a few gliding steps she moved off the dais so that she could talk with her family.

Something moved out of the corner of his eye, and his heart squeezed out an extra beat. Instinctively he reached for Brynhildr, tucked out of sight under his cape, then hesitated.

In the shadows of the throne room, alone in an alcove, stood Gunter. He watched as Corrin chatted excitedly with her siblings, then glanced up at Leo. Though he appeared unarmed, Leo’s grip on Brynhildr tightened, ready to pull it out and open it at a moment’s notice. He’d anticipated some form of violence at Corrin’s coronation, and though Gunter was free of his possession, Leo remembered his bitterness about royalty. If he was planning something…

Gunter did nothing. A small smile turned up the elderly knight’s face as he nodded at Leo. Hesitantly, Leo nodded back. 

Their eyes met for only a moment before Gunter strode away, moving back into the shadows. 

After watching him for a few moments longer, Leo let his hand fall away from Brynhildr. His steps were slow and measured as he approached his brothers and sisters. “If you ever need help, think of us first,” Takumi said, grinning as Camilla wrapped an arm around his waist. “Though next time, make sure you can  _ tell _ us what the problem is, all right?”

Corrin laughed, nodding. “All right. I promise.”

“I don’t think that will ever happen again,” Camilla said warmly. “But we’re all family now. And I love my family more than anything. We’ll come running if you’re ever in trouble.” 

“Congratulations, Corrin,” Hinoka said, clapping her hand on Corrin’s shoulder. “From the bottom of my heart.”

“I-I’m very happy for you,” Sakura whispered, her voice soft.

“Yeah!” Elise said emphatically. “And—” Suddenly, she paused, and Leo blinked as she turned towards him. “There you are!”

All eyes fell on him, and strangely the throne room seemed very silent as he stepped towards Corrin. A brilliant smile curled up her lips as he approached, his steps quiet. She truly looked the picture of a queen: standing there with grace, her robes a brilliant white, the golden circlet on her head shining in the daylight, along with the Omega Yato at her side. 

A heavy weight settled over him as he realized that Corrin now outranked him. She was ruling queen of Valla, and he was her prince consort. It meant nothing in their private life, of course, but in public… There would be certain expectations of how he would act around her now. A certain distance that he would be required to keep. Her smile faded a bit as he bowed his head. “My lady,” he murmured.

She stared at him for a moment, her crimson eyes shining in the light of the sun. Then, gently, her fingertips slipped under his chin, lifting up his head so he could see her clearly. His eyes widened at the gesture, his body tensing as she took a step towards him. “Leo,” she whispered, her voice barely audible. “You bow to no one.”

And then, she leaned up and kissed him. 

It was soft and gentle and sweet, and his cheeks grew red as her hand slipped to the back of his neck, drawing him close. About a hundred protests occurred to him in that moment. Kissing his queen — _ wife, _ he corrected himself — where everyone could see him? What would the court say?

He found that he didn’t care much for what they would say.

His arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her close as he kissed her back. A soft laugh bubbled from her lips, a beautiful clear sound, and he smiled down at her, their foreheads pressed together. “Congratulations,” he whispered.

She grinned radiantly at him. “I couldn’t have done it without you,” she whispered back. 

Takumi suddenly cleared his throat, and Leo’s face nearly exploded with heat as he quickly pulled away from Corrin, nervously straightening out his formal robes. Camilla tittered out a laugh at his actions. “Just checking to make sure you hadn’t forgotten about us, darling,” she said, breaking away from Takumi’s side to peck Leo’s cheek. “We’re proud of you too, dear. Congratulations to you.”

“It’s truly amazing what you’ve done,” King Ryoma said, his voice thoughtful as he stared at Leo. “I’ve reviewed your work on the governmental structure, as well as the judicial system. Frankly, it’s a work of genius.”

“As to be expected from our Leo,” Xander said warmly. 

“I-I didn’t do it alone,” Leo said quietly. He’d studied hundreds of books on government and law, and Takumi had provided a Hoshidan perspective to counter his Nohrian training. True, he’d devised the framework, but the particulars had all been organized by others: lords and ladies, advisors appointed from both countries.

“So?” Corrin said, and a little of his embarrassment faded away as her hand slipped into his. “I can’t rule a country alone either.” She smiled up at him, giving his hand a soft squeeze. “I’m proud of you, Leo. You should be proud of yourself too.”

He couldn’t help but smile at her words. Praise from anyone was nice, but praise from Corrin? That was more precious than diamonds.

“Mama!”

And Leo grinned as Kana came running through the crowd, his arms spread wide. He and Corrin had effectively shattered all expectations of propriety, so he didn’t scold Kana as he flung himself at his mother. Corrin laughed as she caught him in his arms, picking him up and swinging him around in a circle. “How’s my Kana-bean?” she asked. His outfit was very similar to his mother’s, though he wore no armor. Leo smiled at the sight.

“You looked so pretty up there, Mama!” Kana said. Then he turned. “Didn’t she, Papa?”

He chuckled, nuzzling Kana’s cheek with his hand. “Yes, she did. Now, where’s your brother? I’d like to thank him in person.” Though looking at the result of Forrest’s hard work was wonderful, he’d also seen the circles under his eyes, evidence of long nights spent finishing their clothing in time for the celebration.

“Forrest!” Elise cried in delight. “Oh, you look so exquisite!”

“Thank you,” Forrest said demurely, a blush on his cheeks as he approached, wearing a resplendent gown, white and trimmed with gold and blue. The cut was unlike anything Leo had ever seen, much sleeker than the puffy Nohrian dresses that were favored in his brother’s court. “Congratulations, Mother,” he said, curtseying to Corrin with his natural grace.

“Oh, no, no, no,” Corrin said quickly, setting down Kana to grasp Forrest by the forearms, raising him up. “No one bows to me, okay? That’s weird and I won’t stand for it.” 

Forrest laughed. “Very well then. Do you like the outfit?”

“It’s gorgeous!” Corrin said, and Leo chuckled as she spun around, her cape flaring around her. “I feel like a queen!”

“But you are, Mama!” Kana said. “And Papa looks like a king!” Suddenly, he frowned. “Papa, how come you  _ aren’t _ a king?”

A little bit of Leo’s levity faded at the innocent question. Others, especially Corrin, had asked him the same thing. It had been a point of heated discussion between them, though thankfully it had never escalated to a full blown argument. Aware of the eyes on him, Leo smiled softly. “It’s not my place, Kana. This crown is your mother’s birthright. To take it from her… that would be seen as an act of conquest from Nohr.” Corrin’s eyes were soft as she stared up at him, her fingers interlacing with his. “Being a king is a heavy burden. Your mother is better capable of shouldering it than I.”

“Oh,” Kana said, his pout fading. “I guess you’re right.”

Takumi snorted, barely restraining a laugh. Leo rolled his eyes, then placed a hand on Kana’s shoulders. “There’s another part of it too,” he said, winking at Kana. “Princes have more fun.”

“Really?” Kana gasped, his crimson eyes round and wide. 

Forrest giggled at Kana’s excited face. “It’s true, Kana,” he said. “Now that the war’s over, I’ve finally been able to catch up on all of my tailoring projects.”

“And good thing too,” Corrin said, pressing a kiss to Forrest’s cheek. “Thanks to you, I’ll never have to appoint a royal tailor ever.”

“I doubt that will be acceptable,” Xander said, a completely serious expression on his face. “Leo did add an anti-child labor proviso in the latest revisement of the government charter.”

Corrin sputtered, her eyes wide as she stared at Leo. “W-Well, I—”

“Xander’s just joking,” Sakura said, her cheeks pink as her hair as she smiled up at him.

“Xander joking? Why, has the world ended?” Camilla teased.

The group exploded in laughter, and even Xander let out a few chuckles. And as Corrin giggled, leaning against Leo’s arm, he felt warm as he stared down at her. Her golden circlet contrasted her silver curls, her armor shining and bright. Slowly, he wrapped an arm around her waist, then pressed a quick kiss to her hair. Propriety be damned.

She was standing by him, and nothing would hold them apart ever again.

 

* * *

 

Corrin’s smile lingered on her lips as she slipped away from the party, wandering into the gardens behind the castle. While she loved celebrations as much as anyone, all the dancing had left her worn out both physically and mentally, and she’d nearly ran away at the sight of yet  _ another _ Nohrian duke approaching her.

Fortunately, Leo had appeared as if out of nowhere, smoothly striking up some conversation about politics. His eyes had twinkled as he’d winked at her, and she couldn’t help but grin as she’d made her escape.

She inhaled the cool night air, staring at the castle behind her. Both she and Azura had helped to design the exterior and interior, reconstructed from their fractured memories of the Invisible Kingdom. It wasn’t a perfect match, of course, and a part of her was very glad about that; she didn’t want to recall what had happened in Castle Gyges every time she walked through the halls. 

Yet it was similar enough to the good parts of Valla she remembered. Her feet fell on dewy grass as she walked through the gardens of the castle. While the castle had been her and Azura’s project, the garden had definitely been Leo’s. She smiled as she saw both the cherry blossoms shining in the moonlight and the white roses at her side. 

Eventually, she found herself on the shore of a small lake, water lilies floating on the surface, and she couldn’t help the wave of nostalgia that passed over her. It had been at a lake very similar to this one that she’d first met Azura.

_ Didn’t Sumeragi say that he first saw Mother by a lake? _ she thought. 

Thinking of her parents wasn’t as difficult now. Though there was none of the stinging pain — that had faded with time — her heart felt heavy as she stared at the water, watching the ripples bloom across the surface from the gentle breeze. Some days were easier than others. Some nights were filled with dreams of the past, and she woke in a cold sweat, Leo’s arms wrapping around her to soothe her. On others, she could hear his gasping, feel his fingers fly to her neck to feel her pulse and remember that she was alive. She’d gotten better at waking when he had a nightmare, at pulling him into her arms and stroking his hair until he could tell the difference between the past and the present.

Those nights were becoming rarer and rarer, however. Slowly, she released the breath trapped in her lungs, easing some of the weight on her chest.

_ Mother, Father… If you could see me now, would you be proud? _ Her hand rested on Yato’s hilt as she glanced up at the stars.  _ I miss you. _

“So, Corrin.”

Yelping, she whirled around, pulling the Yato out with a fierce yank. Her heart pounded in her chest as she stared at Azura. Her golden eyes were wide, a hand raised in alarm or in a gesture of peace, Corrin couldn’t tell.

“I-I’m so sorry,” she said, lowering the sacred blade, then retying the strap that held it at her side. “I didn’t mean—”

“I know,” Azura said softly, her lips curling up in a smile. “Don’t worry.”

Corrin let out a sigh of relief, relaxing as she smiled at her cousin. “Enjoying the party?”

Azura laughed, a light and melodic sound. “I’ve never been one for parties. And you?”

“It’s fun, but…” She sighed, resisting the urge to plonk down on the shore and start rubbing at her feet.. “Gods, I’ve never danced so much in my entire life.” The soft grass and dirt under her feet was a wonderful break from the hard marble of the throne room. 

“Did you enjoy your coronation?” Azura asked. “You gave a wonderful speech.”

Corrin blushed. “Thanks. Leo helped. I was so nervous, I’m amazed no one noticed me shaking.”

“You’re joking!” Azura said, another laugh ringing in the night air. “You were the picture of grace.”

“I wish I was,” Corrin said, staring at the water. “I was ready to keel over at any moment.” The gold circlet on her head felt heavier than ever in this moment, and she turned to face Azura. “I know you’ve already told me a hundred times, but… are you sure that this is what you want? You’re the first in line for the throne. This crown should be yours.”

Azura’s eyes were melancholy as she turned to look at the lake. “No, Corrin,” she said softly. “This is the way it should be. I was never meant to be a leader, not like you.” She paused for a moment, then asked, “Do you remember when we arrived at the Bottomless Canyon, before Xander and Leo joined us?”

“Yeah,” Corrin said, feeling a bit colder as she recalled her desperation that moment. At the time, she’d thought that Xander himself had sent the Nohrian army after them. And that if she survived… 

She’d have to face Leo in battle. 

Yet, that wasn’t what had happened at all. A smile quirked up her lips as she remembered Leo stretching out his arms toward her, catching her in an embrace. In that moment, perhaps, her heart had realized that she loved him. 

“You told me that if you fell in battle that day, I would lead your army to Valla,” Azura murmured. “I’m… very glad that wasn’t necessary.” Once more, she smiled at Corrin. “That crown was always meant for you. You were what brought Nohr and Hoshido together. Yato chose you as its master. I can think of no other person worthy of being Valla’s ruler.”

Corrin let out a long sigh. “Thank you.”

“Do you think that you’d fail as Queen?” Azura asked, tilting her head.

“Huh? Oh, no!” Corrin replied, quickly shaking her head. “I want to make Valla a wonderful place! For your mother and father, for… my mother and father. For everyone I’ve met on my journey.” 

“I’m glad to hear that,” Azura said. Slowly, she strode towards Corrin, her eyes soft. “Corrin, could I give you a gift? To celebrate your coronation?”

“You don’t have to do that,” Corrin said, smiling. “It’s not really that big of a deal.”

“I think it is,” Azura said warmly. “But, perhaps I’ll give it to you to celebrate our journey together?”

“All right,” Corrin said, feeling a bit confused.

Slowly, her eyes pensive, Azura reached up to her neck and pulled off her pendant. The blue jewel shone in the moonlight. “This is for you,” she said softly, holding the pendant by its slender chain towards Corrin.

Her eyes widened as she stared at the necklace. “Azura,” she said, her voice barely more than a tight whisper. “I-I can’t take this. This is your mother’s, it belongs to—”

“You,” Azura said simply. “You told me that the gem inside this pendant is actually a part of your father’s dragonstone.” She smiled as she stared at the necklace. “Don’t worry. I’m not losing anything by giving this necklace to you. I have other things to remind me of my mother. But this… this is all you have left of your father. So here.” Gently, she took Corrin’s hand, then placed the pendant inside, curling her fingers around it.

Corrin bit her lip, then nodded. “Azura?” she whispered softly.

“Yes, Corrin?” she asked, her hand falling away.

“You… You aren’t going anywhere, right?” she asked, a sudden irrational fear striking her. “You’re staying with us? In Valla?”

“Of course,” she said, raising an eyebrow. “Where else would I go?”

Corrin chuckled, then shrugged. “I don’t know. I guess I just felt like this gift was you saying goodbye.”

Azura smiled warmly. “I understand. But don’t worry. I plan on staying by you for a while yet.” She gestured back to the palace. “Shall we go back to the party?”

“You go ahead,” Corrin said, smiling back. “I… I’d like to stay outside for just a little longer.”

“Very well,” Azura said. Her hair shimmered in the moonlight as she left, a soft song slipping from her lips. The melody was unfamiliar to Corrin, but her voice was soothing as she stared down at the pendant in her hand. Her eyes widened as she realized that the stone nestled in the gold held none of its former luster. Before, when Azura had worn it on their long journey through Valla, the stone glowed with a powerful light; now, it was just a pretty chunk of rock.

“I thought I might find you here.”

Thankfully, she’d heard his footsteps, so she didn’t pull a weapon out as she turned around. Leo stood there, a soft smile on his lips. He truly looked the part of a king in his clothes: a white cape trimmed with gold, a blue tunic stitched with gold thread. It was so different from the formal clothes she’d seen him wear when they’d visited Nohr for Xander’s coronation, but they suited him. Some part of her realized just in that moment that she’d probably never see him in his black suit of armor again. 

Though, she noted as she stared at his head, he hadn’t forgotten his Nohrian heritage entirely.

“I can’t believe you’re still wearing that,” she said, reaching up to touch the headband in his hair. He chuckled, his eyes drifting closed.

“Did you ever know why I accepted that gift?” he asked, his voice soft in the cool air.

“Nope,” she said frankly. “In fact, when I gave it to you, I kinda expected you to throw it out the second you left.”

“I considered it,” he admitted, and she laughed at the blush on his cheeks. “But in the end, I realized something important.” Slowly, he reached up and pulled the headband out, idly spinning it between his fingers. “This connected me to you. In a way, by wearing this, you would always be with me. It sounds silly now, but back then…”

“I don’t think it sounds silly,” she said softly. “I’m glad you like it.”

He replaced the headband, then glanced down at her hand. “What’s that?”

“Oh,” she said, holding up the pendant so he could see. “This is Azura’s pendant. She gave it to me as a gift.”

Leo stared at it intently. “Didn’t you say that this…?”

“Is part of my father’s dragonstone,” she finished softly. “Yes.” She bit her lip as she stared down at the pendant.

Tenderly, his fingers wrapped around hers, and she looked into his eyes. “It’s all right to grieve, Corrin,” he murmured, his voice soft. 

Before, when she’d explained everything to Leo, she’d expected him to be skeptical of her experience in the world between life and death. Instead of giving her a dubious look, he’d simply nodded. “That explains many things,” he had murmured softly. Accepting that Anankos, the dragon that had killed so many and murdered his own father, replacing him with a monster, was her father had been no easy thing for him. In a way, it still wasn’t easy for her.

Yet, every time her grief resurfaced, he had always been there. He hadn’t left her to face the sadness alone. She knew he never would. Just as she had helped him grieve for his father. Just as she would still help him. 

Exhaling softly, she leaned against him, his cape draped over hers as she stared at the water. The night was tranquil, but her heart was still heavy, and the pendant in her hand was even heavier, a tangible reminder of what she’d lost. Azura’s gift had been incredibly precious, she knew, but…

_ “Cast Azura’s pendant into the waters.” _

She froze.

_ “There is no more need for it.” _ Those had been her father’s words before he’d died. She’d forgotten them, in the busy work of restoring Hoshido, Nohr, and Valla. But now, she remembered.

There was one more thing she had to do.

“Corrin?” Leo asked as she pulled away from his side, striding towards the lake. Her footsteps were heavy, but her heart and the pendant grew lighter with each step she took. The water lapped against her feet as she stared at the moon rippling on the water. 

_ “Live your life, Corrin.” _

She stared at the lake for a long time, the pendant nestled in her palm. Then, she closed her eyes.  _ I owe you all. I love you all. I'll never forget… I'll always remember you. Queen Arete, King Sumeragi, King Garon, Mother, Father… I will never forget you. But I’m ready to move on now. _

_ I know that you’ll always be with me. _

Azura had been wrong. This pendant, though precious to her, was not all she had left of her father. She had his words, written long ago for her, and she had his love. That was all she needed.

So she took in a deep breath, then threw the pendant as hard as she could. 

Her father’s dragonstone shone bright once more in the moonlight as it arced over the surface of the lake, and she smiled as it landed hundreds of meters away, sinking to the bottom. Leo was silent as she walked out from the lake, her feet wet as she stepped onto the grass. Though there was a fair bit of confusion in his eyes, she could also see the glimmer of understanding as well. Her hand slipped into his, and she smiled at the warmth of his palm, the tenderness of his grasp. “Thank you,” she said.

“For what?” he asked.

“For standing by me,” she said softly. “No matter what.”

His hands cupped her cheeks, and she let her eyes drift closed, her smile growing as his forehead pressed to hers. “I always will,” he whispered. The kiss that followed was sweet and soft and pure, and for a long moment they simply stood there, smiling in each other’s embrace.

Eventually, they walked back to the party, hand in hand. The orchestra was playing a slow waltz, and Leo’s eyes twinkled as he turned to face her, his hand falling to her waist. “Would you care to dance?” he asked. 

She couldn’t help but laugh, but she rested her free hand on his shoulder, letting him lead her into the waltz. They weren’t on the dance floor proper, but in a secluded alcove, the lights of the chandeliers sparkling down on them in the shadows. And though she knew that she was a queen now and that even in the dark people would be watching, she couldn’t help but lean up and press a kiss to Leo’s lips. And another. And another.

Their dance didn’t last long before she was tucked in his arms, nestled against him perfectly, and she smiled in his hold. “I love you,” he murmured, his voice soft but fervent.

“I love you too,” she murmured back, her eyes closing as he gave her a small squeeze. Her heart felt light for the first time in a long while, and though she was slightly nervous about the road ahead of her, she was also calm. She wouldn’t be alone. She had so many people that would take this road along with her: Leo, Forrest, Kana, both her Hoshidan and Nohrian families, and the many, many others she had met along the way. They would always be with her.

And as Leo’s lips pressed to hers, she knew that everything would be all right.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story is dedicated to you. Yes, you! Everyone who reads this story deserves my gratitude, and they have it. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for reading this. For reading my other stuff (if you haven't, that's okay), for commenting, giving me feedback, supporting me in my writing. It means a great deal to me. 
> 
> Ending this fic has been a bittersweet experience for me, because this will be the last fic I post on here for a long while. I'm living abroad for eighteen months starting in December, so I won't have time to write fanfiction. However, when I come back, you can bet that I'll still be writing!
> 
> It's been a wonderful journey. I'm glad that I could take it with you.  
> Cheers,  
> ChronoXtreme


End file.
